Not In The Job Description
by Team-Jazz
Summary: Maddy Clark is desperate for a job at CBI, but to get into the area she wants, she has to start somewhere. She just never thought she'd be baby-sitting Patrick Jane. Eventual Patrick/OC. COMPLETE
1. Blushing Scarlet

**I can no longer contain it. The urge to write mentalist fanfiction. Not just any Mentalist fanfiction in fact, one with an OC, which I'm pretty sure, may be the first of its kind here. And so, I am risking my life, evading capture from the readers of my other fandoms who are baying for my blood because I haven't updated in an age, and bringing you this story. I hope you enjoy it, otherwise it'll be more than my life's worth.**

**Ps. I'm sorry if she's a Mary-Sue, I tried my hardest**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist, although I may kidnap Patrick Jane in the future. What do you mean he's a fictional character?!**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Introductions**

"She'd crack under the pressure, and there's no way she's doing any serious chases," Minelli complained, looking over the applicants CV one more time.

Teresa Lisbon gave a sigh. She had to admit, the candidate in question was no veteran in the field when it came to the tasks that a CBI agent would have to perform. Observational yes, but no athlete. The stamina, quick reactions and ability to think under pressure seemed to be missing from the applicant, and she could hardly see her chasing a dangerous murderer down the street. In fact, judging by the tremors that had been effecting the girl so much during the interview, she would be lucky if she could hold a gun straight. Lisbon came out of her thoughts as Minelli addressed her directly, and she had to ask him to repeat himself, much to his annoyance.

"I said, she might still be of use,"

"And how exactly? You just told me she wasn't right for the job!" Lisbon complained, eager to get back to work.

"Lets just put it this way, Jane needs watching, and our agents are wasting their time doing that. Lets see if she's up to the job, get her to be his personal shadow, make sure he doesn't do anything too rash," he smiled, impressed by his own logic. With a sigh, Lisbon agreed and went to find the girl.

The candidate in question was sitting outside the door, anxiously cracking her fingers, a bad habit that her mother had often complained about. When she heard the door open, she looked up quickly, almost cricking her neck. Smoothing down her dress skirt, she stood up and followed Agent Lisbon back inside the office, taking deep breaths as she went.

"Miss Clark, after some careful consideration, I've decided that unfortunately, you're not what we're looking for," Minelli told her gravely, and the girl visibly shrank in demeanour, like air being let out of a balloon.

"We do however, have another position we thought you'd be interested in," He continued, as her head shot back up, looking hopeful.

"At CBI, we have a special consultant who has a, ehh, gift shall we say, for finding trouble. Now, it's very important that he is safe and his position known at all times. It's a dangerous world out there!" He gave a stout laugh.

If he had been watching the girl more closely, he may have seen the look of confusion that crossed her face, or even the look of slight disapproval that followed it. He was not however, so was, quite naturally taken aback by her answer.

"Agent Minelli, do you mean to say, you're asking me to baby sit?" She blurted out.

"Well I wouldn't put it exactly like that..."

"Could I maybe have a few minutes. Just to get some fresh air, think it through?" She asked politely, although her hope had vanished as quickly as it had arrived.

"Of course, of course," He showed her out of the office door, frowning.

When she reached the outside doors, Miss Clark headed straight for the stone seats at the other-side of the car-park, below the trees that stood there. A food stand stood in its shade, and she paid for a coffee before heading to sit down. The seat however, was already occupied by a smartly dressed man in a navy suit and waistcoat. He looked up as she approached, a coffee held in his own hand, and gave a quick but dazzling smile. He had, the girl noted, brilliant blue eyes and a set of cute blonde curls upon his head, before she realised that she was staring and started to blush, looking down quickly.

"Here, sit down," He moved the newspaper that had been taking up the other half of the seat, allowing her to sit beside him.

It was a couple of minutes before she realised that he was staring at her, a look of interest upon his face.

"How did the interview go?" He asked calmly, and she jumped, confused.

"How did you know?"

"The way you're dress: you're evidently uncomfortable in what you're wearing, you're clearly in unfamiliar territory, and you have interview jitters," He gave another dazzling smile.

The girl looked down at her knee which until that moment had been shaking where she sat. Blushing again, she tried to stop it, before automatically cracking her fingers again.

"So what brings you out here, instead of in there being interviewed," the man asked.

His voiced seem strangely calming, and she suddenly found herself spilling everything on him, her fears, her hopes, the interview and the proposition from Minelli.

"So you see, all they want is a baby sitter for this Patrick Jane guy, it's hardly a job prospect!" She finished, feeling much better.

The man now wore a knowing smirk, that irked Miss Clark slightly, but she couldn't quite place the feeling of unease. Looking down at her watch distractedly, she realised she'd been away for half and hour, and in a panic, she stood up.

"I have to go and tell them my decision!"

"Well, just think of this before you go. If you show them what you can do, they'll be begging you to take the job you want," he said with a smile, and she raised her eyebrow.

"You think?"

"I do,"

And with that, she ran back into the building.

* * *

"Well Agent Clark, allow me to introduce you the rest of your team," Minelli told her as he and Lisbon led her into the main office.

"This is Agent Cho and Agent Rigsby," Lisbon motioned to the two men who were closest, who both nodded, the latter coming forward to shake her hand.

"And this is Van-Pelt," The pretty red head greeted her with a warm smile.

And then she froze. A man had just entered the room and was walking towards them, a sly smirk on his face. Her jaw dropped to the floor, as she desperately wanted to shrink to a tiny size and hide under one of the desks.

"Ahh, here's the man himself! This, Miss Clark, is Patrick Jane,"

* * *

**Ooooh Cliffhanger!!!**

**Yah, hope you like it. And for those of you who've read my Grace/Patrick friendship one-shot, I have news!**

**It will be updated and made into many little stories! Woohoo!**

**REVIEW!!!**


	2. Apologies

**Thanks for the reviews all :) Forgot to mention in the last AN, this is an eventual Patrick/OC, I don't want to rush it, that would be OOC for Patrick. We all know he's still suffering after the murder of his wife and child, and he still wears his wedding ring, so he's not going to magically fall in love within a few days or anything. Just though I'd mention that :P**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist, although I may kidnap Patrick Jane in the future. What do you mean he's a fictional character?!**

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Apologies**

**Last Chapter...**

_And then she froze. A man had just entered the room and was walking towards them, a sly smirk on his face. Her jaw dropped to the floor, as she desperately wanted to shrink to a tiny size and hide under one of the desks._

_"Ahh, here's the man himself! This, Miss Clark, is Patrick Jane,"_

* * *

Patrick Jane assessed the girl in front of him. She was quite clearly mortified, her mouth open slightly, and a flash of fear in her eyes. Her cheeks were now alight with a rosy blush, and she was even more flustered than earlier, her breathing now becoming frantic. Patrick smirked at the trouble he was creating.

"Ah, n-nice to meet you," she took his outstretched hand shook it, her eyes pleading with him not to say anything.

"My pleasure. I never caught your first name,"

"Maddy. Well actually it's Madeline, but I prefer Maddy..." she trailed off.

"Well, I'll leave you all to get aquatinted," Minelli told them before bustling off back to his office.

The room was filled with an awkward silence for a few minutes before Cho broke it.

"Better get back to work,"

Jane was still smiling, watching the new agent with interest. Maddy was looking at everything in the room but the other members, while she tried to will her hands to stop shaking. The addition of Mr Jane's unwelcome stare was not helping.

"I'm just heading out to lunch. Would you care to join me?" Maddy jumped, answering Jane with a polite nod. Lisbon however gave him a suspicious glance.

They reached the car in silence, and it wasn't until they were inside and driving down the road that Maddy finally worked up the courage to speak.

"Mr Jane, I am so, so sorry,"

"Ahh don't worry about it," Patrick seemed genuinely amused by the whole situation.

He could tell she was in fact, still worrying. There were subtle little clues, the way her fingertips were tapping her tensely folded arms, the fact that she was staring out the window, but apparently not taking anything in, and, possibly the most obvious sign, the look of anguish which she still wore on her face. The girl was like an open book

"Really, don't worry about it. I'd have been angry if it were me,"

"You would?" she looked at him like a six year old wanting reassurance that her father thought Santa Clause was real.

"I would,"

She let out a heavy sigh, relaxing slightly, and began to survey her surroundings. The car they were driving was extremely well cared for, and from the interior and the bonnet that she could see out the window, quite old. The dashboard was made out of polished wood, with the paintwork a silver-blue.

"I love your car Mr Jane," she smiled, taking it in.

"Really? Thank-you. And please, no Mr, I can't stand formalities. Call me Jane. Or Patrick. Either one," He smiled again, an infectious smile that made Maddy grin back at him.

They reached a small restaurant near the centre of town. It was sleek and modern, with expensive looking paintings on the walls and large bouquets of flowers on the tables. It looked much too fancy for Maddy's liking. They settled at a table near the window, each looking at the menu, which Maddy cringed at after seeing the prices. The waiter bustled over, notepad in hand to take their orders.

"Umm, just a salad for me..." Maddy replied meekly, but was interrupted by Patrick

"Two stakes please, one Medium-rare and eh, let me see, you look like a "Well-done" sort of person, yes well done I think," he smiled at the expression on the face of the girl opposite him.

"How did you...?"

"Oh, it's just basic intuition. But enough about me, tell me about you,"

"Well, where should I start?," she asked, slightly taken aback by the sudden change in subject.

"Anywhere. Where you were born, your favourite type of cheese, what films you like. Anywhere," He grinned again, and Maddy found herself puzzled by the strange man.

"Umm, well, I was born in Seattle, I was named after my grandmother, I'm 28 years old...umm," She was saved from telling my life story by the waiter, who brought out two beautifully cooked stakes with all the trimmings. Mouth watering, she began to eat.

After a few minutes of silence, only interrupted by the sound of scratching cutlery, Patrick spoke again.

"So what brought you to CBI?"

"I worked in forensics in Seattle for five years. And I loved it, but I wanted to be where the action is, doing more than just collecting evidence and scuttling back to the lab,"

When they'd finished their meal, the waiter returned with the bill. Maddy took her purse out of her bag, inwardly groaning at the price. A salad would have been much cheaper, but Jane had had to but it. But before she had even taken the money out of her purse, Patrick was handing over the whole payment.

"Allow me,"

"Oh, no I couldn't let you do that," she told him, once again flustered

"Think of it as a welcome present," he smiled, and she finally relented.

They made their way back to the car, their stomachs contented with a full meal. As Maddy settled into the passenger seat, Patrick stole a quick glance. She certainly seemed a nice girl, but their was something strange about her. He couldn't shake the feeling that she hadn't told the whole story. This of course was just his gut feeling, but he'd learnt over the years, that his gut feeling was usually correct.

* * *

**Little bit of bonding for ya :)**

**Hope you liked it.**

**REVIEW!!!**


	3. Day One

**Thanks for the reviews all :) **

**I'm freaking out at the moment, just discovered that here in the UK, the season finale of the mentalist is on next Thursday, along with a special behind the scenes/interview programme. My family are getting fed up of the fangirl squees that fill the room everytime the advert comes on**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist. I _Am_**** the Mentalist! Not.**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Day One**

**Last Chapter...**

_They made their way back to the car, their stomachs contented with a full meal. As Maddy settled into the passenger seat, Patrick stole a quick glance. She certainly seemed a nice girl, but their was something strange about her. He couldn't shake the feeling that she hadn't told the whole story. This of course was just his gut feeling, but he'd learnt over the years, that his gut feeling was usually correct._

* * *

Maddy awoke early the next day, nervous but excited. After she had returned to the head-quarters, Minelli had told her that she didn't officially start until the next day, but was welcome to look around. Mr Jane had volunteered to give her a tour, and she had enjoyed a pleasant afternoon in his company. She did however, find him a little disconcerting.

First of all, she had caught him watching her closely, like an adventurer on safari observing an interesting animal. Second, he always seemed to have a knowing smile on his face, which she often found slightly annoying. And thirdly, he kept making comments on the strangest of things, like what food she liked, her favourite type of music, and where she liked to go on holiday. And she hadn't even told him the answers.

The Sacramento CBI Headquarters were large in size, and Maddy was sure that she would get lost. Of course, she didn't admit this fear to any of her new co-workers, she was sure that they already thought she was a coward thanks to the state she had worked herself into that morning. Thinking about it now, she was lucky to have gotten any job at all. By evening, she had calmed down immensely, her nerves having been helped by a cup of tea courtesy of Patrick Jane. Needless to say, he had gotten the milk and sugar exactly right.

Maddy looked at the clock. It was 5am, and she wasn't went to start work for another three hours, but even so, she dragged herself out of bed and headed for the bathroom. The hot shower woke her up, the steam clearing her head as she hummed a tune to herself that she had heard on the radio a few days ago. Toast and tea followed soon after while she watched an early morning talk show. The tea, she was reluctant to admit, was not as good as yesterday's at CBI.

She was out of the door by 7am, hoping to beat the traffic. Checking her reflection in the car window for the hundredth time, she climbed in. What did you wear on a job like this? Was it more smart, or functional? She'd gone for a mix of both. Knowing her, she was probably wrong.

She hit traffic three blocks down the road, and with a sigh, turned the radio on. Traffic jams were not what she needed this morning. The song ended, and the newsreader began to talk.

_"Our main headlines for today, prominent businessman Gregory Peterson was found dead in his home today. Police have yet to reveal information, but it is understood that a full murder investigation is underway."_

Her attention taken momentarily, the sound of horns alerted her to the fact that the way ahead was clear. She jerked her car into gear and quickly drove away, thinking about what she'd heard. The thought however was soon pushed from her mind as she reached the CBI headquarters.

Her department seemed fairly quiet, the clock on the wall reading 7.45am. She made her way over to the unclaimed desk, depositing her bag down and her keys into the lockable drawer. And out of her drawer, she took a badge and gun. The gun, she carefully stuck into its holder on her belt, and the badge, she began to shine with a slight smile on her face. It wasn't until Maddy stopped almost ten minutes later, that she realised that she wasn't alone. Lying on the couch behind her desk was Patrick Jane.

"You're here early," he sat up smiling.

Maddy managed a weak smile, before attaching her badge to her belt. By the looks of it, he had slept on the chair the whole night. His curly hair was sticking up, and he still looked slightly sleepy. He suddenly stood up quickly, heading to the break room.

"Tea, we need some tea," He called in a sing song voice. Maddy followed quietly behind.

"Did you see the news? Lisbon's just waiting on the others then we're going to head out," He asked as he took two mugs from the cupboard.

"The businessman? What was it - Gregory Peterson? Is that case ours?"

"Yup. CBI tend to take the high profile cases," He explained as Maddy sat down at the table.

She watched in silence as he took the milk from the fridge, listening as the kettle began to boil.

"So, is the badge shining sufficiently now?"

The question took her by surprise and she began to blush, focusing her attention on the table where she traced patterns in the wood with her finger. She heard him chuckle, as he poured the water into the cups. A mug suddenly appeared in front of her as a chair was dragged back.

"Ignore me, I have a habit for insulting people by accident," he gave her a warm smile before taking a sip of his tea. She took one of her own, noticing how yet again, it was better by far than her own a home.

"Jane, Clark, we're leaving, get your stuff," Rigsby appeared, grabbing a chocolate biscuit from the jar on the counter.

Maddy downed the rest of her tea in one gulp, spluttering as it burnt her throat, before following the other two from the room.

* * *

The house was filled with police, tape sealing off the doors. Maddy watched the forensic team with interest. She wasn't used to observing them instead of the crime scene. Cho, Rigsby and Van-Pelt were all talking to those around them, while Lisbon was speaking to the wife of the deceased. The woman was tall, slim and blonde, dabbing tears from her eyes as she spoke.

Maddy ambled over to the body, unable to resist a look at the scene. He lay in a pool of blood, stabbed in the chest. The murder weapon was missing, the search still on.

"Excuse me ma'am, we need to move the body," the coroner had appeared behind her, and she moved to let him in.

And it was then she realised. Patrick Jane was no-where to be seen. On her first day at work, she was already failing in her duties.

Maddy took the nearest corridorto the scene, almost running down it. Trust her, to lose him on the first day. She cursed under her breath, panic coursing through her as she rushed around another corner. The hallway was empty. Another corner, and then a set of stairs. She ran up them two at a time, stumbling on the first step and desperately trying to catch her breath. And then she heard him. His voice came floating down the hall towards her, and with a relieved sigh, she headed towards her, trying to hear what exactly he was saying.

Reaching the last door, she stepped inside the room and was rooted to the floor in shock. Patrick stood in the middle of the room, hands out in front of him.

And standing with a large knife, dripping with blood, was the most crazed man Maddy had ever seen.

* * *

**  
**

**Hope you liked it.**

**REVIEW!!!**


	4. Seeing Red

**Thankyou for the reviews :)**

**I'm changing the viewpoint to first person from now on. It's how I've written my other fics, and I find it much easier. Don't know why.**

**Sorry for the inconvenience :P**

**I also just had an amazing dream with Maddy in it. It was like the start of an episode, and it has created many more ideas for the story ^^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist. It ****owns me.**

* * *

**Chapter 4 -****Reprimands**

**Last Chapter...**

_Reaching the last door, she stepped inside the room and was rooted to the floor in shock. Patrick stood in the middle of the room, hands out in front of him._

_And standing with a large knife, dripping with blood, was the most crazed man Maddy had ever seen._

* * *

_Maddy's POV_

What the heck have I got myself into. That was the line that kept repeating itself over and over in my head. It was like a broken record and I was starting to get slightly irritated by it.

So I had to make a choice. The room with the knife wielding maniac, or a quick drive home, where I would watch the news and find out that Jane was dead, but I'd be perfectly safe. But unemployed. I chose option one.

With shaking hands, I drew my gun, edging into the room. How I'd fire it in the state I was in, I didn't know. I crouched slightly to the ground, edging towards the two men. I took a better look at the maniac; he was covered in blood, his hair matted and his eyes bloodshot. A scraggily beard covered his face, and his teeth were a horrible yellow, jutting out of his mouth.

He spotted me, and took a step forward, muttering under his breath, knife raised. Jane flinched back, watching carefully. He jumped and looked around when I spoke.

"Sir, put the knife down," my voice shook horribly, the gun quivering in my arms, which felt like lead.

"Let's have a little chat," Patrick tried to reason, but with a guttural roar, the man ran forward.

Everything that happened next seemed to last for years. The maniac was running in slow motion towards us, knife in front and a dangerous gleam in his eyes. Patrick was slowly diving to the left, eyes wide. I was aiming and pulling the trigger of my gun. With a loud crack, the gun went off and the man lay screaming, clutching his leg on the ground, the knife discarded just out of reach.

With a jolt, I realised that I was on the ground, having tried to dive out of the way while trying to shoot the maniac. I sat up, hearing the thud of approaching footsteps in the hall, and spotted Jane clambering to his feet at the other-side of the room, seemingly unharmed. Using the table beside me to support my shaking weight, I attempted to stand up, feeling slightly sick. The man's leg was now bleeding onto the carpet as he writhed. With a shudder, I looked away.

"What the...!" Lisbon had just entered the room, gun in hand, with Cho and a half a dozen officers behind her. "Someone, explain this please!"

"W-well.." I began, but Jane cut me off

"This man threatened me with a knife. If Maddy, hadn't turned up, I could be dead," He tucked his hands in his pocket, seemingly relaxed.

I nodded my agreement, unable to speak. I still felt sick after shooting the man, and I was afraid that if I opened my mouth... well, you get the picture.

Lisbon took out her phone with a frown, and exited the room. Cho hurried over to take the knife and check on the man. During all of this, I failed to notice Jane sidling over to me. I jumped as he whispered in my ear.

"That was some nice shooting,"

"Thanks," I replied with a shaking voice, "but I was aiming for his arm,"

* * *

When we returned to head-quarters, Menelli was waiting, and his friendly demeanour from the interview had completely evaporated. With a sigh, I split off from the rest of the group, and headed to his office. He shut the door behind me, and asked me to sit down. For a minute, he said nothing, but his face was thunderous.

"First day didn't go too well, did it?" He asked. I didn't reply.

"We have certain standards in CBI, standards that will not be broken. You are no longer a CSI, Miss Clark. You're job is to stay with Jane, and you failed to on your first day!"

I looked up from my knees, feeling like a naughty school child. "It won't happen again Sir,"

"I certainly hope not!" He thundered, and I blushed slightly. "Now, I'm giving you another chance, but I'll tell you now! I'm watching you Clark!"

I left the office after another five minutes of lectures about my job, head down and feeling down-right depressed. This was hardly turning out to be my dream job, and I was beginning to think I should have stayed in the lab.

"How'd it go?" I looked up to find Van-Pelt.

"Terrible. A verbal warning on my first day!"

"It's not really fair," Van-Pelt said sympathetically "No-one really told you how much if a loose canon Jane is. He constantly gets into trouble. You were hardly prepared"

I shrugged an answer, feeling slightly angry. This was all Jane's fault. If he hadn't wandered off...

My train of thought stopped as I reached my desk. On it sat a cup of steaming, sweet tea on a small saucer. On the saucer sat a tiny envelope with no name on it. I looked around, the rest of the team were at their desks. All accept one.

"Where's Jane?" I asked Cho, who was sitting at the desk behind me.

"Gone to get pizza. We always get some when we solve a case,"

I turned back to the tea, sitting down at my desk. Carefully opening the envelope, I pulled out the tiny sheet of paper inside. In a small, neat, hand-written text, sat one word.

_Sorry_

One sip of the tea confirmed my suspicions on who it was from.

* * *

**Hope you liked it.**

**REVIEW!!!**


	5. Phone Calls

**See how I spoil you! Longest chapter I've EVER written for any fic xD**

**Thankyou for the reviews :) They're so encouraging ^^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist. It****owns me.**

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Phone-calls**

**Last Chapter...**

_I turned back to the tea, sitting down at my desk. Carefully opening the envelope, I pulled out the tiny sheet of paper inside. In a small, neat, hand-written text, sat one word._

_Sorry_

_One sip of the tea confirmed my suspicions on who it was from._

* * *

**_Maddy's POV_**

I arrived home with a full stomach, and feeling more content than I had all day. Everyone had loosened up a bit, and it was almost like a small party we had had. Of course, Cho had complained about one of the pizzas, because it had pineapple on it, but everyone seemed to enjoy it never the less. Jane had bet Rigsby that he couldn't eat a whole large pizza himself, and had won. Rigsby was feeling slightly worse for wear by the time he left work.

Jane said nothing of the note, and I didn't bring it up. The tea of course, had been a giant give away, and I knew it was him, but I wasn't sure if he'd deny it or not. I still hadn't quite worked him out yet. He was a strange man, always polite, always smiling, a charmer. But there was something darker underneath, and the knowing smile that always played across his face was extremely irritating.

I slouched into the living room, throwing myself down onto the chair and switching the TV on. The answering machine sat on a table to my right, and I stabbed at the buttons lazily. There were four messages, three from friends telling me that they'd seen me on the news this morning, and I remembered the television crews that had been gathered outside the house when we arrived. The fourth was from my mother.

My mother was the most embarrassing, molly codling, pedantic woman I knew. And I loved her dearly. She worried 24/7 about me, and if I didn't call every two nights, she'd panic. She'd raised me alone since the age of four when my Dad left, and I was an only child, the only family she had. She'd been my mother, my teacher and my best friend. I really did love her.

_Madeline? Madeline, call me back when you get in! Straight away now, you here me!"_

I smiled at the sound of her voice, typing in her number. It ringed twice.

"Oh, good Maddy, I was beginning to worry! What took you so long? Did you get the job? Was that you on the news earlier? Have you had anything to eat yet?"

"Mum, calm down, one question at a time!" I laughed down the phone, and I heard her give a sigh.

"Well? Did you get it?"

"Yes and no. They didn't think I was suitable, but they gave me another one. I've got to tail the consultant, he's a bit of a loose canon," I explained

"You're baby sitting?" She asked, shocked.

And so I told her about the interview, the man outside, and eventually, finally realising who he was.

"Is he as good looking close up?" Was the first thing she asked. I nearly chocked on the cup of tea I had been making with one hand.

"Mum! He's my co-worker! And anyway, he's married,"

"No he's not," came the reply.

"What? How'd you know? What's it with everyone becoming psychic these days?!"

"You don't know about what happened? My goodness, where have you been? I used to watch his show on TV, he had a psychic show, it was very good you know. And then that awful man, what's his name, Red John killed his wife and child. Poor man. And the show stopped too. Maddy? Madeline, are you still there?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm here. Look Mum, I'll call you tomorrow, I'm pretty tired."

She sounded a bit put-out, but hung up, never the less. I stood there, staring into space, not quite believing what I had heard. Up in Seattle, we had never had to deal with Red John ourselves, but his murderous reign had hit us hard. A copy cat killer had taken out a number of people, and the scenes had been some of the worst I'd seen in my time there. I suddenly felt guilty for blaming Patrick for my verbal warning.

And yet, he always seemed so happy, there was always a smile on his face. And he still wore his wedding ring.

My good mood had evaporated, and I trudged off to bed. I lay there for several minutes, tossing and turning, before finally drifting off into a troubled sleep.

* * *

I was awoken some time later by the phone ringing loudly. I grumbled, slamming the pillow over the head with a groan. Who on earth would be calling now? The thought that it might be an emergency crossed my mind and I dragged myself out of bed, across the room, to the phone. I picked it up.

"Hello?" I yawned.

Nothing. Not a sound. But they hadn't hung up, the dialling tone was not sounding.

"Who is this?" I asked, slightly unnerved.

Still nothing. With a shudder, I put the phone down. It was probably just some kid, prank calling. They were probably now killing themselves laughing wherever they were. And still, I was now extremely nervous.

Every noise made me jump, every creak, every rumble. After ten minutes hiding in my bed, covers pulled up like a five year old, I gave up, getting up for a shower. The clock beside my bed told me it was three in the morning. Not even bothering with breakfast, I picked up my keys and headed for the door. Just I reached it, the phone rang again. It was the same number as before, and I was suddenly angry. I answered.

"Haha, very funny! GO AWAY!" I shouted down the phone.

There was no answer at first, but I could have sworn I heard a slight chuckle. Just the faintest of breathing, nothing else. I slammed the phone down on the receiver, and stormed out of the door, locking it quickly and running out to my car.

The roads were still quiet as it was only 4.30am. I was much too early for work, but I was close to freaking out. I even doubled back on myself once when I thought I was being followed. It turned out to just be a harmless business woman heading for work. When I reached the car park, it was almost empty, so I chose the closest unreserved space to the door. I ran inside.

When the lift pinged on my floor, I let out a sigh of relief. This place was already feeling safe and familiar. I made my way into the kitchen. Surprise surprise, I wasn't the first one there.

"Do you sleep here or something?" I asked Jane, slightly cranky from my lack of sleep.

"Actually, yes, sometimes. It's nice and quiet. You look terrible." He told me bluntly.

"Thanks,"

"No, you actually do, did you sleep at all?" He asked, and I thought I detected a hint of concern in his voice.

"Not really," I admitted grudgingly "I kept getting prank calls. When I picked up, they just stayed silent,"

"And that scared you," It wasn't a question, it was a statement. I remembered what my mother had told me and changed the subject.

"Mr Jane, are you psychic?"

He gave a grin. "Nah, no such thing as psychics. I just pay attention,"

I frowned, confused. His grin stayed on his face.

"Tea?"

"I suppose I could force myself," I said airily

"Oh admit it, you love my tea," God, he was annoying.

There's no point telling you about the tea. I've described it enough already for you to realise that it was, once again, amazing. I felt myself relaxing, growing sleepy. I wasn't sure if it was the security of the headquarters or the presence of Jane. He had an oddly calming aura about him. And the constant smiling, although extremely irritating, was infectious.

"Now, you need some sleep," He stated, leading me gently by the arm to the main office. His much worn couch lay in front of my desk, and I found myself sitting on it. It was warm, comfy, and extremely inviting. I was soon curled up at one end, my breathing slowing and my mind drifting.

I fell asleep, feeling safer and more secure than I had all night.

* * *

**Hope you liked it. And I hope you don't think that the end was rubbish. I had a sudden thought, would Patrick give up a section of his couch, whether is was just the end or not? I think he would, he is a gentleman after all. I think.**

**REVIEW!!!**


	6. Red Flag

**Thankyou for the reviews :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist. It ****owns me.**

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Red Flag**

**Last Chapter...**

_"Now, you need some sleep," He stated, leading me gently by the arm to the main office. His much worn couch lay in front of my desk, and I found myself sitting on it. It was warm, comfy, and extremely inviting. I was soon curled up at one end, my breathing slowing and my mind drifting._

_I fell asleep, feeling safer and more secure than I had all night._

* * *

**_Maddy's POV_**

I jerked awake as I heard the sound of a ringing phone. For a sleepy second, I panicked, thinking that I was at home and my mystery caller was striking again. When I finally woke up, I relaxed. The phone had been Van-Pelt's, and she was now sitting at her desk, talking politely. Rigsby was staring at his computer screen, and Cho was typing rapidly. I rubbed my eyes, and turned to look left. Jane was sitting at the other side if the couch, head back resting on the back of the chair, watching. The sleepy smile on his face told me that he had dozed off as well. My mother's words from the night before drifted through my thoughts.

_"Is he as good looking close up?"_

I had to admit, the answer was yes. He seemed to ooze charm, and the blonde curls and blue eyes settled the matter. And I'd caught the other women in the building looking, so I wasn't the only one that thought this. I blushed deeply, and considered how much I would hate for him to be psychic. Mind you, he was as good as.

His grin widened, and I was saved from explaining my blush by Lisbon, who was already putting her jacket on.

"We've just got a call, we're heading north, into the hills. It's probably going to be an over night one, it's too far a way to travel back and forwards, so bring what you need,"

"I don't have anything with me!" I panicked, thinking I'd be left behind.

"We'll stop off at your flat on the way. But in future, keep a change of clothes here for emergencies,"

I nodded, jumping up, suddenly awake and raring to go.

* * *

In, grab stuff, out. That's what I was expecting it to be. The rest would stay in the car, avoiding the bomb site that was my flat, and I'd be done in a jiffy. Easy. Not when you work with Patrick Jane.

Oh yes, Jane volunteered to help me grab some things, and although I insisted against it, he came anyway. Not that I expected him to do anything, all I needed was a change of clothes and a toothbrush. He'd probably have a look around, poke his nose into everything. Great.

When I opened the flat door, the mess inside seemed worse than I expected. I'd left in a rush after all, not bothering to pick anything up. The dishes from last night were still in the sink, a number of biscuit wrappers on the coffee table, and magazines were spread over the floor. In general, it was a complete and utter mess.

Patrick however, looked around with a content expression on his face, taking every detail in. He probably would have made a good CSI if he hadn't turned to being a fake psychic first. I left him picking up the photos on the mantle-piece to find some clothes in my room.

It was an equal state, the bed unmade and yesterdays clothes all over the floor. I rummaged through the drawers, grabbing clean clothes, before heading to my wardrobe. I heard the answering machine beep, and cringed as I realised he was listening to mu messages. The voices of several excitable friends filled the room for a few moments before my mother's message rang out, loud and rather embarrassing. I willed it to be over, stuffing my toothbrush into rucksack I was using on top of my clothes and headed for the bedroom door. It was there I stopped, listening in shock.

Another message had been added to the list. This one however was not bubbly friends or an over-reacting parent. It was deathly quiet, with only a few faint breaths in the background. The strap of the bag hit the floor as it slipped from my loose hand. I stared into space, my breathing growing frantic and more panicked. This was no prank caller. What prank caller ever left a message? The terrifying possibilities filled my head. Surely not...

The bag was lifted off the floor, and a strong, warm hand placed on my shoulder. It was oddly calming, but the smile that usual covered his face was gone, and he was deadly serious. This somehow made me feel worse, and I found my hands shaking.

"Take a deep breath," his voice was oddly trancelike as he patted my arm, and I found myself obeying his instructions.

After a few minutes, and several deep gulps of air, I was under control again, and heading towards the door.

"I'm ok, I'm ok!" I wasn't sure who I was trying to persuade, him or I.

"Who was that?" He asked

"I don't know!" I swung the door open.

"Yes you do, a name just popped into your head. Who is it?" He pressed, the same strange quality in his voice.

"I don't know! It's just some kid..." I faltered, and he noticed, "Look, I don't know!"

I was almost shouting, begging him not to ask anything else. He seemed to back down, but I was sure he'd ask again, when my guard was down later. And to be honest, I wasn't sure how long I could keep it from him. If my suspicions were correct, I'd be needing a lot more of Patrick's cups of tea to keep me sane.

* * *

**You're still not getting to know who it is :) And I'm rather annoyed, I had the whole thing planned, and then another idea popped into my head, fighting my original. I'm sooo confused! Never mind, we'll get there some time.**

**REVIEW!!!**


	7. Red Sky at Night

**Thank-you for the reviews :)**

**Review replies:**

**Late March: Thanks for the tip, I didn't even think about xD I will definitely try and get the lingo for all of you, please excuse any mistakes though :P**

**And a little note for all of you, the chapters will be increasing in length from now on, but will not be as frequent. I used to write them in one night, but it'll take a little longer for them to be beefed up a bit. So don't worry if I haven't updated, something will be coming soon!**

**I have also, due to boredom, created some outfits for Maddy (sad and ever so slightly fangirlish, I know). These can now be seen on my main page. If the links work.**

**Enough chatting, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist. It****owns me.**

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Red Sky At Night**

**Last Chapter...**

_"Who was that?" He asked_

_"I don't know!" I swung the door open._

_"Yes you do, a name just popped into your head. Who is it?" He pressed, the same strange quality in his voice._

_"I don't know! It's just some kid..." I faltered, and he noticed, "Look, I don't know!"_

_I was almost shouting, begging him not to ask anything else. He seemed to back down, but I was sure he'd ask again, when my guard was down later. And to be honest, I wasn't sure how long I could keep it from him. If my suspicions were correct, I'd be needing a lot more of Patrick's cups of tea to keep me sane._

* * *

**_Maddy's POV_**

The journey to the crime scene was surprisingly enjoyable, and I found myself relaxing on the way there. We headed south-east into the mountains, and the scenery was breath taking. The sun was shining on the mountainsides, the trees a rich, deep green. We passed forests and small towns and once or twice a small lake, water birds paddling lazily across its surface and fisherman sitting in their little boats, waiting for a bite.

We stopped once or twice, mainly because Rigsby was hungry, and I took the opportunity to stretch my legs. The diner that we had pulled in at was surrounded by forest on both sides of the road, and for all its remoteness, was extremely busy. It seemed to be one of the main stops for truckers, and many tree laden trucks had pulled into the parking lot. The tables inside were packed full of them, eating plates of chips burgers and laughing loudly, swapping stories.

I paid for my sandwich and bottle of coke to go, before heading out of the stifling heat into the cooler air outside. It was much more tranquil up here, and I made a mental note that on my next holiday, I'd head into the mountains. It reminded me of at home, where the Cascade mountains were a constant view from my bedroom window. On school holidays, my uncle used to take my mother and I far into the hills to a small log cabin. It was paradise.

Feeling suddenly homesick, I sat down on a low stone wall across the road from the diner, where I had a view of the mountains, and could smell the pine trees behind me. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, I started to tuck into my sandwich. It was dry and stale, but it would do. Van Pelt appeared in the doorway of the diner, and spotting me, headed over, taking a seat with a groan.

"Rigsby's stuffing his face _again_. He's worse than the truck drivers," she complained, opening her own bottle of water.

"At least it'll stop him grumbling about being hungry all the way there," I replied, think off the only thing that had punctured the relaxing drive. Rigsby's growling stomach.

"That's why I chose to ride with Cho," she laughed

We were taking two SUV's with us to the crime scene, and Van Pelt and Cho had taken one of them. I was almost wishing I had gone with them by the time we reached the diner, because Rigsby just wouldn't shut up. He was driving our SUV, with Lisbon in the passenger seat, and Jane in the back with me. He hadn't spoken after the incident at my apartment, but I was glad. I didn't want the rest of the team finding out and panicking. Or in Cho's case, not panicking at all. Nothing seemed to phase that man, but in my few short days in the team, I'd learnt that just because he looked bored, didn't mean he was missing a sense of humour. His one-liners had often caught me off guard.

The door of the diner opened again, and Jane walked out this time, focusing his attention completely on a sheet of paper in his hands. Wedged under one arm was a notebook much the same as the ones the waitresses carried. He skirted round a car, heading across the road to stand beside the wall we were sitting on. After trying for a few moments to figure out what he was making, he produced it with a flourish.

"Ta da!"

A small paper rhino sat on the palm of his hand, folds in the paper acting as folds in its thick skin. I smiled at the small animal while Grace gave a gasp and picked him up. He balanced on like a feather on the ends of her fingers, tiny horns sticking up.

"How did you do that?" I asked curiously before taking the piece of paper he offered me.

I tried in vien to copy the folds that Jane showed me, all of which turned out to be extremely difficult. By the end, he had another miniature rhino, and I had a messy piece of paper. I gave up, making the only thing I knew how to. A fortune teller. Scribbling some random lines down, I offered it to Jane. He chose red, six and the five, while I counted out the numbers.

"You will talk to a mysterious stranger," it read.

"How insightful," he chuckled, "Probably the only real psychic I've ever met."

The stoney silence that came from Grace told me that the topic of psychics had already been spoken about between them. She glared at Jane, and he looked back, the grin leaving his lips. I glanced between them, changing the subject to whether Rigsby was still eating. Patrick nodded silently, and Grace muttered about checking on the others before leaving.

The uncomfortable silence continued for a few more minutes before Jane sat down on the space that had previously been occupied by Grace. He began working on another piece of paper, and I glanced idly at the fortune teller now sitting abandoned on my knee.

"How are you holding up?" he asked without looking up.

I jumped in surprise, collecting my drifting thoughts, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you seemed to be shaken by the incident last night,"

"I'm fine. It was just a bit of a shock that's all," I replied, trying to sound uninterested.

He looked up, and I could tell he was trying to read my expression. I looked away, focussing on the mountains again and tried to ignore him.

"When you're ready then, " came the reply, and I looked around.

The others were exiting the diner, heading to the SUVs. Rigsby was walking sluggishly, still carrying his drink. Jane stood up, following them, and as I made to follow, I noticed what he had left on the wall beside me. A tiny paper lily sat next to me, miniscule petals flicking out. With a smile, I picked it up and stowed it in my pocket.

* * *

I jolted awake, the SUV dipping suddenly into a pot hole. Rubbing my eyes, I gazed around and out of the window. We were on a lonely track, mountains on either side and trees lining the road. A house emerged out of the clearing, police tape covering the doors and men standing outside. I took a swig of coke to wake me up, grabbed my jacket and got out of the car.

It was considerably more breezy in the mountains now, and I was glad of another layer. The thin blouse I had on wouldn't have been enough to keep me comfortable. A policeman greeted us at the door, and we headed inside. The first thing that hit me was the smell. The body had obviously been here for a few days at least, and was starting to decay. My nose wrinkled in protest, as we stepped into the lounge and spotted the source of the smell.

A body lay on the floor, a pool of dry blood around it soaked into the wood. It lay on its back, baby maggots crawling over its skin, wriggling. But the most unusual thing was that the body had no head.

I heard Rigsby leave the room, his heavy meal threatening to resurface. A police officer followed soon after. Lisbon, face screwed up in disgust took a step closer.

"Looks about four to ten days old," I commented "with the maggots and all."

"That's the coroners verdict," the officer told us.

"Have we identified him?" Lisbon asked, and he nodded

"Yeah, it's Jim Heatfield. Local, has a bit of a reputation as a nut. Troublemaker too." he grunted a reply.

I successfully managed to resist the urge to inspect the scene, and wandered after Jane, who was working his way around the room, picking up photos and books as went, much like he had done in my apartment. There was no Tv I noticed, and wondered idly whether was any reception here. We left the room, heading down the hall, peaking in the doors before finding the bedroom.

The walls were bare, but the faded paper on them told us that there had once been posters. After an closer inspection in a wardrobe we found them, pictures of scantily clad women. I frowned in disgust and turned away, looking around the rest of the room. Patrick started looking under the mattress

"No diary," he commented, and I had a brainwave

"He's got a computer. Maybe he's got a blog or something," I switched it on at the wall and waited for it to load.

It was slow to start, the screen flickering and I tapped the table impatiently. When the desktop finally flashed up, the picture he had used as a wallpaper caught my interest. A photo that had been magnified was being used, one of a young woman.

"Who is this?" Patrick asked with interest, drawing up another chair beside the computer.

I checked the document folder and struck gold. Opening word, I felt my mouth fall open in shock as I read. The policeman was right about one thing, he was definitely a nut.

_"Saw her again today, followed her to the shops. She passed me in the isle and looked at me, but she was with another man. She will soon leave him for me when I proclaim my love for her. I will find a ring soon and propose to her soon at the lake. She's beautiful. Followed her home. She locked the door. Might have a look in her trash, may contain a phone number."_

"He's a stalker... where's the lake" I uttered slowly, flicking back to the desktop. So that was who the girl was.

"And who's the other man?" Patrick asked with a grin

* * *

Lisbon decided it was time to call it a night after our breakthrough, and we headed to the motel we had booked. It was nothing fancy, but the closest accommodation to the scene. Plus, there was a diner a few hundred meters away, perfect for a quick meal.

I found myself wedged between Van Pelt and Jane at a tiny table, looking out of the window at the red sky beyond. It was a beautiful sunset, and a perfect end to the day. We'd finished our meal, full and content, and were sitting back, talking lightly. Jane produced three paper cups and a pea, sitting them on the table. He turned to Cho who was opposite him.

"Where's the pea?"

"I put ten dollars on that cup," he pointed at the middle one after they had been shuffled.

Patrick lifted the cup, which had no pea under it. After ten minutes both Rigsby and Cho had lost almost fifty dollars each, failing every time. I watched closely as Patrick shuffled the cups once more, and noticed a flash of green.

"You're palming the pea! There's nothing under any of them!" I blurted out before turning all three over. All stood empty.

"I'll take that," Rigsby scooped up his money with a frown, putting it in his pocket.

"I think that's our time for bed," Lisbon stopped the impending argument briskly before leaving the table.

Smiling, Patrick put his suit jacket on, the night now chilly. I swung my own on, following him out of the door.

"You spoiled the trick," he grinned, obviously finding it amusing

"You cheated," I countered, giving an impish grin back.

"I'm going to have to watch you closely! You'll be spoiling all my surprises at this rate!"

We reached the motel, saying out goodbyes. As I felt in my pocket, I pulled an unexpected object out. I looked at the lily with a smile, sticking it back inside and opening the door. He certainly was an intriguing man.

* * *

Further down the corridor Patrick Jane watched his new colleague walk to her room and produce a paper flower. With a baffled smirk, he entered his own room. The ex-CSI had spotted his trick with ease, her skills of observation that had been built from her previous job evident. She was extremely mysterious, and he was extremely curious. Of course, he, Patrick Jane would soon unravel the mystery. She certainly was an intriguing woman.

* * *

**It's extra long for ya!**

**Hopefully the next will be even longer, but I wanted to end it there.**

**REVIEW!!!**


	8. Red Sky in the Morning

**Thank-you for the reviews :)**

This chapter should be slightly more exciting than the last, it was purely for filling a gap in the story and adding some characterization. Hope you like this one.

This fics the only thing keeping me happy, the Mentalist finished two weeks ago here, and I'm feeling rather depressed without it. At least CSI Miami's still on :(

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist. **

* * *

**Chapter 8 - Red Sky In The Morning**

**Last Chapter...**

_Further down the corridor Patrick Jane watched his new colleague walk to her room and produce a paper flower. With a baffled smirk, he entered his own room. The ex-CSI had spotted his trick with ease, her skills of observation that had been built from her previous job evident. She was extremely mysterious, and he was extremely curious. Of course, he, Patrick Jane would soon unravel the mystery. She certainly was an intriguing woman._

* * *

**_Maddy's POV_**

The bed had to be the most uncomfortable bed I had ever slept in. The springs stuck up in random places, and the sheets stank of past occupants. Not exactly five star. Groaning I rolled over, looking out of the window across from the bed. The shutters of the blinds were loose, and through them I could see the glow of an early morning sun-rise, sky a deep red and clouds on the horizon. Dragging myself out of bed, I reached the bathroom, and took a shower, which turned out to be cold.

Fifteen minutes later, fully dressed and irritable, I emerged back into the main room and grabbed my bag, ready to leave for breakfast. My phone began to ring loudly in my bag, and I froze, listening to the music playing out into the room. Slowly, I opened my bag and pulled it out, hands shaking, to read the name flashing on the screen. I gave a sigh.

"Hey Mum," I answered closing my bag back up and heading for the door.

"Oh thank goodness, I was beginning to worry! I've called your apartment a hundred times and there was no answer! Where are you! You should really tell me if you're going away somewhere, I was worried sick!"

"Calm down Mum, I'm not a toddler anymore," I sighed, " I'm away on a case in the mountains. You're lucky I've got signal at all,"

"You still could have told me," she muttered sounding slightly put out, "what's the case about?"

"You know I can't tell you, it's confidential," I replied, exasperated. I'd reached the cars but the rest of the team hadn't arrived yet. Leaning against the nearest SUV I waited.

"Oh suit yourself. You know I had a nice man on the phone asking about you. Said he was a friend from work, wondering where you were,"

Her voice echoed at the end of the phone which was now lying on the pavement where it had ended up after slipping out of my hand. I hurried to pick it up, checking for cracks in the screen, but it was undamaged.

"I'm here. What did you tell him?" I blurted out hurriedly. Noticing movement out of the corner of my eye, I spun round. Jane was heading over, freshly shaved and dressed.

"Well, I said you weren't answering the phone. That you'd no doubt be away working somewhere. Gave him your number, so I expect he'll be calling soon enough," she chirped away, oblivious to my mood on the other end, "How's that nice Mr Jane getting on -"

"Look Mum, I've got to go, love you," I hung up on her, knowing that she's be angry with me. I stuffed the phone back in my bag, zipping it shut aggressively.

"Is there a problem?" Jane had arrived at the SUV

I forced a smile, "Nothing, just a mother who overreacts a lot,"

He frowned, unlocking the car, and I knew that he didn't buy it. He hopped into the passenger seat to wait for Lisbon who turned up soon after, and we set off into town. If that's what you could call the scattering of houses on the dirt track road. There was one tiny shop, but that was about it. Pulling up outside the pretty little house on the end of the street, we knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came a quiet call from inside

"CBI. We're police," Lisbon replied

"Show me your badges!" I realised that the small circle on the door was in-fact a peep hole, and produced my badge from my belt.

The sound of bolts being drawn back and keys being turned lasted for almost a minute before the door opened, revealing the young woman who had appeared on the victims desk-top. She seemed washed out, a shadow of what must have been a once beautiful girl. Now, she just seemed exhausted and scared.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a small voice, looking around

"Clara Evans? We'd like to ask you some questions regarding the death of Jim Heatfield," Lisbon explained

"He's dead?!" The shock was evident on her face, and she swung the door open wide.

"You didn't know?"

"Ehrr, no. Please, come inside, come inside,"

We followed her inside, through a dimly lit hallway, alarm flashing on the wall, onto a cramped living room. There were blankets on the sofa, and it looked like she'd been sleeping in there. Take-away boxes lay over the ground. It looked as if she'd been living in the one room. She cleared a chair, and Lisbon sat down, balancing on the edge. I remained standing behind the chair.

"Miss Evans, we have reason to believe that Mr Heatfield had taken an unhealthy interest in you," Lisbon tried gently

"Unhealthy! He was stalking me! Everywhere I went there he was! Watching!" She seemed close to tears. So she knew about her stalker. Was that motive?

"Can you explain to us exactly how is started?"

"I bumped into him in the shop a few months back. That was the first time I'd met him, he was knew to town. I gave some small talk, out of politeness and all, and then I left. A few days later it started. Just phone calls at first, silent phone calls," my breath caught in my throat, "and then I felt like I was being watched all the time. My boyfriend dumped me, said I was paranoid, but I knew someone was following me. And then I heard a noise. He was going through my trash. I called the police, but he'd left when they got here."

She took a deep breath, and I looked down at the chair in front of me which I was now grasping tightly, my knuckles white.

"_Just phone calls at first, silent phone calls"_

I jumped and gave a slight squeak as my phone vibrated in my pocket. Realising everyone was looking at me, I gave an apologetic smile and stepped to the side, looking at the text message I had just received. It was a withheld number. Confused, I opened it.

_"12,"_

Frowning, I looked at the clock. It was ten o'clock exactly, no where near mid-day. I stuffed it back in my pocket just as Jane reached me, ready for a snoop around the house.

"Who was that?" He asked

"Wrong number," I muttered, following him into the hallway and up the stairs.

* * *

At precisely eleven o'clock, while driving down yet another dirt track road towards Clara's ex's house, my phone vibrated again. With an annoyed grunt, I pulled it from my pocket.

"_11,"_

Ignoring the puzzled looks coming from, the passenger seat, I put it away.

* * *

_"10," _

I ignored it, trying to listen to what the ex was saying. Matt Libowsky was shocked to here of his ex-girlfriends stalkers death, and even more so to hear that he actually existed. According to Jane, he was telling the truth. With no evidence, we moved on.

* * *

Van Pelt called with a new lead, it turned out that Clara's brother had been in town for a few days and was staying at his parents house. As we walked up to the door, I felt a familiar vibration in my pocket, and with a feeling of dread, pulled it out.

"_9,"_

I almost chickened out then and there, and had to make an excuse of needing a drink before sprinting back to the car. They waited on the doorstep for me, and after collecting my breath, I returned to them.

The brother was extremely angry about the stalker, and made no attempt to cover his happiness over the news of his death. He'd visited Heatfield a few days ago and had punched him in the face, but refused to say anymore without a lawyer. His parents would be returning soon, so we waited in the car for them to return.

Half an hour passed, and I sat on the back seat, twiddling my thumbs getting impatient. I closed my eyes as exactly on the hour my phone vibrated. I didn't bother to take it out of my pocket. I knew what it would read:

_"8,"_

Patrick swiveled in his seat, looking around as I leant my head on the window.

"Are you not going to answer it?" He asked

"No, there's no point, just a wrong number,"

"Hmmm..."

The car finally pulled up, and the parents got out. We followed them inside to question them, and I made sure to leave my phone in the car.

* * *

"You don't understand! I watched as my daughter waisted away because of that freak!" Mr Evans shouted, standing up. Patrick had made him confess only moments before.

"You're under arrest Mr Evans for the murder of Jim Heatfield..." Lisbon began the process, and with a smile, Patrick left the room, pleased with the quick solving of the case.

He really was fascinating to watch, as he leant in towards the older man, speaking quietly but quite forcefully

"I bet you hated to see her like that, jumping at every shadow. A shell of your former daughter," He had told him darkly, hand resting on Mr Evans knee

"No, I don't understand..."

"Oh but you do, you understand quite clearly. He was ruining her life, you couldn't stand by and watch, she's your daughter. A father is meant to protect his daughter," The last line was spoken with such bitterness, I flinched, and my heart went out to the CBI consultant. He had never forgiven himself, that much was clear.

"Fine! I did it!" and the confession started.

* * *

Dinner that evening was an enjoyable affair, the excitement of a closed case filling each member of the team. We pulled out all the stops and ordered the most expensive food, which wasn't much, and generally had a good time. Rigsby was cracking jokes, Jane was showing us card tricks, and Lisbon actually seemed to relax.

I sat in my usual spot, grinning away, and began to feel my eyes drooping. It was nearly ten o'clock, and it had been a long day. The drive home tomorrow would take all morning, and I still needed to pack my meagre supply's. Excusing myself from the table, I left the diner.

"Wait!" the call came from behind as walked across the parking lot, and Jane arrived, holding something in his hand.

"You left this in the car earlier. Don't you want it?" My phone sat in his outstretched palm, and I took it, brow furrowed.

"You had a tonne of message waiting. Counting down to one I see. Still think it's a wrong number?"

"You read my messages!" I thundered "They could be private!"

"Oh please," he waved his hand in dismissal, "it was hardly anything juicy. Besides, I wouldn't tell anyone,"

"That's hardly the point-" I cut off as we reached the corridor where our rooms both stood, staring at my phone.

The clock read 10pm, and the screen was flashing, the ringtone sounding loudly in the night. The number I had ben dreading all day flashed, taunting me.

"Put it on loudspeaker," Jane commanded, and I did.

"Hello?" I asked in a timid voice. Yet again there was no answer.

"Who is this?" Jane sounded brave and confident compared to my frightened voice, "why are you calling?"

The line was silent for a minute before a whispery, chilling voice rang out.

_"Zero. Ready or not, here I come,"_

* * *

**Oooh getting exciting now!**

**Hope you enjoyed it, wasn't sure how long to make each countdown, I didn't want it boring, but I wanted to build the suspense :)**

**REVIEW!!!**


	9. Hidden Blood

**Thank-you for the reviews, please don't kill me after that cliffhanger, you'll get your answers :P**

**Had the strangest of dreams last night. For some reason, I'd been put into a mental hospital because something had happened, but no-one believe me and thought I was mad. They were horrible to me, and I started actually thinking I was crazy. Then Patrick turned up, and I got to go home :)**

**Strange, I know :P**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist. **

* * *

**Chapter 9 - Hidden Blood**

**Last Chapter...**

_"Hello?" I asked in a timid voice. Yet again there was no answer._

_"Who is this?" Jane sounded brave and confident compared to my frightened voice, "why are you calling?"_

_The line was silent for a minute before a whispery, chilling voice rang out._

_"Zero. Ready or not, here I come,"_

* * *

**_Maddy's POV_**

The beep of a phone, the click of a lock, the squeak of old bed springs. These were the only things I heard for over a minute before I finally came back to my senses, and realised that I was almost hyperventilating. I heard the door shut, and finally noticed that I wasn't in my own room. I tried to pull myself together. I failed miserably.

"Take a deep breath, relax," a touch on the wrist, a calming voice

I did exactly as Jane asked, and breathing settled down, replaced with a muffled sob.

_Pull yourself together Maddy!_

"You know who that was. Tell me,"

"I don't, I don't know. Just a prank, it's just a prank," I prattled

"I can help you, but only if you tell me what you know," It was tempting I must admit.

We sat there for what felt like hours, but couldn't have been more than ten minutes, his hand still on my wrist, eyes focused completely on my tormented expression. I gave up, it was time to spill the beans.

"Back in Seattle, I was engaged to be married," I began, expecting him to interrupt. but he didn't, "Everything was going perfect, we had the venue booked, the dress bought, the invites sent. But my fiance, Gary, was worried about one thing. My father left when I was younger, and there was no-one to walk me down the isle. He became obsessed about trying to find my dad, but I was quite happy with just my mother there. And one evening, he called me at work, said he'd found my father, that he was with him then and there, wanted me to leave to go see him. But I was working, and it was a busy shift, so I turned him down,"

I paused for breath, knowing what was to come. I didn't want to relive this, I wanted to forget it!

"He started spending a lot of time with this guy, said he wanted to get to know his father-in-law. And he kept trying to get me to meet him, but my work was so busy at that point. There was a Red John copy-cat out there, and the bodies kept coming. We got the call one night that another victim had been found, so we headed over to her house expecting the worse. When we entered, it was obvious there had been a struggle, and the first thing we saw was the red face on the wall,"

Jane finally spoke, his brow furrowed, "How did you know it wasn't Red John?"

"Well, everything matched his other murders apart from one thing. The smiley face was back to front. Instead of it running clockwise, it went anti-clockwise. And Red John had never drawn it like that," he nodded, and I continued with my story, "We found the body, began to process the scene. I was sent outside to check the parameter for evidence. I found a baseball cap in the bushes, identical to my fiancé's. When it was tested back at the lab, a hair was found that was a match to his,"

There were no tears now, though I felt oddly light headed as I stopped speaking. Everything felt numb, and my head was heavy, as if someone was pressing agaisnt my temples. The pounding of my heart was loud in my ears, and my hands were shaking in my lap. The pressure on my wrist increased slightly as Jane spoke.

"You can do this. You're strong enough," again, I felt the urge to obey.

"They never found him. He disappeared before they could reach his apartment. He wrote me a letter, telling me everything. He was crazed, claiming he was Red John's apprentice, that he'd found him during his search for my father. Me and my mother were put under the witness protection system, my last name was changed to Clark and I moved down here a few months ago. He's still out there," I trailed off, my voice shaking.

There was a moment of silence as we both absorbed the gravity of what I'd just said aloud. I hadn't told anyone about it before and it almost felt like a sudden weight had been lifted of my shoulders. On the other hand, I was considering the fact that I'd just told my innermost darkest secret to a man I'd known for barely a week. I wasn't sure whether that terrified or excited me. It probably wouldn't sink in until later.

I was, however, now extremely tired, and I gave a large yawn, my face stiff with the tears I'd shed. The TV flickered on, and Jane removed his suit jacket, chucking it over the back of a chair. He propped the pillows up, leaning against the wall. I watched him, confused.

"Well," he motioned, "it's going to be a sleepless night, we may as well be comfortable," he patted the bed beside him where another stack of pillows sat.

I took my own coat off, settling down on the covers, trying to get my mind off what was happening. The bed wasn't much better than mine, and even the duvet did little to make it anymore comfortable. My fingers tapped constantly on my knees, and my eyes watched everywhere but the screen.

Late night TV is really not up to much. We watched an old war film that was black and white, but I didn't keep up with the story. A chat show came on at one point, but Jane made a point of changing the channel when the woman began to talk about abusive boyfriends. We settled finally on old Scrubs reruns, something that would usually never fail to get me laughing, but for once, I didn't even crack a smile.

The wind was whistling outside, and I snuggled down as small as I could into the pillows, feeling the chill. The clock read three in the morning, and I wondered idly where the others were, whether they were sleeping, or awake. I gave a quick glance towards Jane, who had been silent all this time. I thought he might have fallen asleep, but he was sitting, wide awake. Though he was staring at the TV, his eyes seemed distant, in another time altogether. I realised that he was used to spending the night like this.

He realised he was being watched, and turned his head, a small smile playing on his lips. But his blue eyes were tired, and I felt suddenly guilty for keeping him up. I made to leave.

"I'm sorry, I'd better go, I'm keeping you awake," I grabbed my coat, making for the door.

"I think you'll be much better here," he said, climbing off the bed himself, "Plus, I don't mind, it's nice to have some company,"

The friendly smile was hard to resist, and with a sigh, I chucked the coat down and resumed my place on the bed. He settled back down, and we both began to watch but not watch Scrubs again.

_Gary was standing by the bed, knife in hand, covered in blood. I tried to scream but no sound came. Turning to Patrick beside me, I noticed a great, blood red face on the wall. The motionless body of the consultant lay beside me, stab wounds oozing. The scream finally came, and I was trying to get away from Gary's blood soaked arms._

"Maddy, wake up!" Jane's voice was worried and urgent. I realised that the arms restraining me were not Gary's and stopped struggling, sitting up suddenly.

Jane was sitting, white face but fully alive, beside me. The sheets below were a mess, and one of the pillows scattered. I realised that tears were once again falling down my face, and I rubbed them away hurriedly, feeling foolish.

"Ok?" Patrick asked, and I nodded a reply, leaning back against the wall

"Sorry, sorry, just a bad dream," I replied quietly.

Jane made as if to put a comforting arm around my shoulder, but hesitated, and it returned to his knee. The uncomfortable silence lasted for a few minutes before he spoke again.

"Was it him?" I didn't have to ask who he meant.

"Yes,"

"Dreams are often the worst place we can be," he said quietly

The Scrubs theme played out, jolly and loud in the sudden sullen silence as I struggled to stay awake, desperate not to return to the nightmare's that had once haunted my dreams. For months that was all I'd dreamt off, murders, family member's deaths, and him. My eyes were sore and heavy, and I fought to keep them open. My head ached, and all I wanted was to sleep, but the sight of his figure standing over me filled my head and I sat back up again.

I gave up one final attempt to maintain consciousness and slumped into the pillows, eyes shutting. My head made contact with a shoulder, and having no strength left in me, I expected him to move. But Jane settled further into the warm covers, and before I could worry about anything else, the warmth and secureness off the room enveloped me, I finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Shock shock horror horror! And a little bit of fluff :3**

**Hope you liked it, review please!!!!!**


	10. Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews :D**

**I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist. **

* * *

**Chapter 10 - Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry**

**Last Chapter...**

_I gave up one final attempt to maintain consciousness and slumped into the pillows, eyes shutting. My head made contact with a shoulder, and having no strength left in me, I expected him to move. But Jane settled further into the warm covers, and before I could worry about anything else, the warmth and secureness off the room enveloped me, I finally drifted off to sleep._

* * *

**_Maddy's POV_**

A steady drip, drip, drip hit my nose, and I rubbed it sleepily. Groaning slightly, I realised my neck was incredibly stiff, but I couldn't be bothered moving. I was warm for the moment, and my eyes were refusing to open. The drip hit my face again, and I tried to think of a reason for it. My mind was still in half asleep mode, and wandered aimlessly, until a larger drip hit me square in the eye.

I forced my eyes to open, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The source of my sore neck was the fact that it was balanced on Jane's shoulder. The consultant was snoring softly, leaning against the head board. His face was serene and calm, and I sat for a minute, not wanting to wake him. Then another drop hit my head.

I looked up to the roof, and found the source of the water. The roof was leaking, and badly, the sound of rain hitting the window panes. I groaned as the drips increased, and shook my head. Deciding it was time to leave, I made to get up. I failed miserably, and realised that Jane's arm was snaked around my shoulders. I was glad he was asleep, as I was blushing so furiously I looked like a tomato. After gathering my wits, I decided to wake him up.

"Jane," I whispered, prodding his shoulder, "Jane, wake up,"

He grunted awake, blinking sleepily before yawning. To my great relief, he removed his arm, stretching out and ruffling his hair. A large drop of water splashed onto his face, running down his cheek. He jumped at its cool touch, and I gave a tired laugh.

"I think your roof might be leaking,"

"You think?" He gave a grin, wiping his face with his hand.

We sat in silence, trying to wake up fully. I finally stood up with a yawn, stretching to the roof. I threw on my jacket, bracing myself for the weather outside. I stopped, hand on the door knob.

"Please, don't tell the others yet," I asked him, but he looked unsure.

"Lisbon should know,"

"Well, can we at least wait until we're back in Sacramento? Please?"

He nodded, and I let out a sigh of relief before opening the door. The rain was thundering down, and I looked out at the gloomy sky. Jane came to stand at the door, looking out at the puddles that covered the car park. I jumped out, running down the pavement to me right, dodging puddles and trying to stay dry. I was still pretty wet when I reached my room.

* * *

An hour later, I emerged from my room, feeling much better after a warm shower. My jacket was pulled on, and my bag slung over my shoulder. The rain was still extremely heavy, and I skirted a large puddle on my way to the SUV. After reaching it, I chucked my bag in, and headed to the office to hand the key to my room in.

By the time I got back to the car, I was soaked again, but thankfully, Rigsby turned the heating on. We all dried out soon enough, and pulled out of the parking lot, onto the now muddy road home. The cars splashed through large puddles, and the trees were dripping large drops onto the front window. I looked behind us, but the mountains had disappeared under a wall of cloud. I wouldn't see them again before I went home.

Feeling a tap on my arm,, I turned around. Jane was holding my phone is his hand, and I realised that I must have left it in his room last night. I took it from him quietly. It was switched off, and I made no attempt to change that. I would pretend nothing had happened, at least until we got home. I tucked into my pocket, not wanting to look. It now seemed to be the center of everything evil. I might even buy a new one when I got home.

The roads were slippery with mud, and the SUVs had to take it slowly, as the rain pounding down on the windows made it hard to see. By the time we reached the little diner we'd stopped at before, it was already 3pm, and I had the feeling we wouldn't be back until dark. There was no question of sitting on the wall while eating, so we all crammed into the one available table. The free time in the car was taking its tole on me, and I had begun to worry about my stalker again. My appetite was soon gone, the sandwich I'd ordered lying half eaten on the table. I settled for the cup of tea I'd bought, taking small sips.

"You're not hungry?" Rigsby asked from across the table, stuffing his own face

"Nah, not really, I didn't sleep well last night, " I replied, trying to sound light hearted, "Have it,"

"Don't want it going to waste," Rigsby grabbed the sandwich and started eating it, while Van Pelt who was crammed in beside him rolled her eyes in disgust

"How can you eat so much?" she asked, sipping her coffee

"Mmm 'unrgy," came the muffled reply from his mouth

"Rigsby would eat his own grandmother if he was hungry enough," Cho said dryly from Van Pelts other side

I swilled the last dregs of my tea around the cup. It hadn't been great, in fact it looked as if they'd scooped it from a puddle outside, but at least it was warm. I rested my head on my arm, while I looked out of the window beside me, tapping my fingers restlessly on the table. I just wanted to go home, but Rigsby had insisted on a full lunch. I was beginning to wish that I'd sat at the end of the table, so I could retreat to the car, but I was squashed in beside in the window, with Jane and Lisbon blocking my exit. And to make matters worse, Jane was watching me. Very carefully.

He'd kept his word and kept his mouth shut so far on our journey home, which I was grateful for. I hadn't even been in the job a week, and I didn't want them all thinking I was some coward.

Rigsby finally finished, and we returned to the SUVs after paying the overpriced bill. Unlike the journey up, sleep refused to come, and I spent the remainder of the road staring out at the bleak scenery. The rain refused to stop as we made our way to the outskirts of Sacramento, the SUVs turning their lights on to see in the premature dusk the weather was causing.

It happened in a split second, and if it hadn't been for Rigsby's quick actions, I wouldn't be here to tell the story. A large red truck came screeching across the junction we were pulling out of, aquaplaning on the rain soaked road. Rigsby put his foot on the accelerator, swearing wildly as the SUV screeched into action. Lisbon was clinging to the dashboard, knuckles white, shouting something that I couldn't hear over the screeching of tires. The truck missed us my centimeters, clipping the back bumper and sending the car spinning across the road. The drivers side smashed into a wall, windows shattering and spraying Rigsby and I with glass.

For a few seconds, there was silence apart from the sound of blood pounding in my ears, and our panicked breathing. The sounds of the world around us returned, the hooting of car horns in the background as there was a large crash. The sound of a car stopping near by brought me back to earth, and was followed by Cho and Van Pelt's frantic shouts. They tore the passenger side door open.

"My God, are you ok? Is anyone hurt?" Van Pelt was trying to keep calm, but had a hysterical edge to her voice.

Lisbon clambered out, nodding and looking around, "I'm fine,"

I followed Jane in a daze, my door unable to open, and looked at the car's other occupants. Lisbon and Jane were unhurt but shaken, and Rigsby had a jagged cut on his left cheek, but was otherwise unharmed. It was a miracle that none of us were not more seriously hurt.

"Oh Rigsby your cheek!" Van Pelt started fussing, taking out a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbing the small amount of blodd on the mans face. "That was some driving," she complimented him

"Well, you know, it was just a reaction," Rigsby replied modestly, wincing slightly at the touch but obviously enjoying the attention from Grace. I smiled despite the situation.

"I'm gonna go check on the truck driver," Lisbon told us, motioning to the other side of the road.

The truck had flipped on its side, and passers-by were hauling the driver out of the door. Even from this distance it was obvious that he had hurt his leg; it was hanging awkwardly at an angle. He let out a moan as they pulled him clear, lowering him to the ground. I began to make my way over to the truck, ready to lend a hand, when Jane stopped me in my tracks.

"Wait, you're bleeding," he used the corner of his sleeve to wipe a stray line of blood.

I put my hand up, wincing at the cut on my forehead that was beginning to swell. I don't know how I hadn't noticed it before. The glass from the shattered window must have cut me on impact.

"You sure you don't want to sit down?" he asked

"I'm fine. How about you?"

"Just dandy," he smiled, but still seemed a bit shaken.

We made our way across the truck. It was a mess of smashed metal and glass, debris littering the ground. We reached the other-side of the truck, and the sight before us stopped us in our tracks. Scored into the red paint, was the large smiley face of Red John.

* * *

**Hmm, there seems to be two recurring themes in this story. Tea, and Rigsby's stomach :P**

**Oooh! Exciting!**

**Hope you liked it, review please!!!!!**


	11. Shining Red

**Sorry for the wait, I've been on holiday, and then the first week back at schools been pretty hectic, but here we go :)**

**Hope its worth the wait :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist. **

* * *

**Chapter 11 - Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry**

**Last Chapter...**

_We made our way across the truck. It was a mess of smashed metal and glass, debris littering the ground. We reached the other-side of the truck, and the sight before us stopped us in our tracks. Scored into the red paint, was the large smiley face of Red John._

_

* * *

  
_

**_Maddy's POV_**

Everything seemed to be a bit of a blur as I stared at the uneven face on the truck. All sounds, smells and feelings left me to be replaced with a sudden empty void. And then I came back down to my senses with a bump thanks to Mr Jane.

"He's here!" He muttered, looking around before diving into the trees beside the road.

"What the - Jane! Are you mad?!" I shouted after him to no avail, before jumping in after him.

There was little light within the trees, darkness having finally fully set in. I stumbled over tree roots as I struggled to keep up with the shadowy figure ahead. Branches hit my face, stinging the cut on my forehead. I was about ready to give up when I suddenly stumbled into a small clearing, Jane standing in the middle.

The clearing was dark, with shadows cast across the ground, disjointed, moving. I hurried over, furious. How stupid can you get? Chasing a murderer into a deserted wood with no back up or way to defend yourself. Jane however, was saved from my impending lecture by a rustle in the bushes to our right. Pulling out my gun, I stepped in front of him, squinting into the dark.

_Are you stupid? Do you seriously think you could shoot Red John in this place? You're dead Maddy!_

My thoughts whispered to me, doubts clouding my judgement. My gun wavered in my grip. A rustle came from behind and I whipped round. A faint laugh, a twig snapping. My arms were shaking fully now, fear overtaking everything. And then Jane spoke.

"Come out into the open you coward," I jumped before giving a hissing reply.

"Jane, what the heck are you doing!?"

"This man, killed my wife and child, Maddy, he'd not going to get away with it!"

"Jane, seriously, look around! We're not exactly in the best position here!" I replied, turning at the sound of movement to my left

"Over there!" Jane spun me round, my gun pointing into the bushes. I couldn't see a thing.

"I swear, if we die here, I'm going to kill you!" I hissed quietly

"Oh, like that makes any sense," came the dry reply.

"Shut up and let me concentrate!"

Another laugh came from the bushes and we froze. My hand shook violently, and I struggled to swallow, by breaths coming uneven and sharp. The sound of running came from the bushes behind us, crashing through the trees. I raised my gun, took a deep breath, and waited to pull the trigger. This was it, the difference between living and die-ing. The figure emerged from the bushes, gun raised.

"I've got them! They're here!" Lisbon shouted, before being joined moments later by more police officers.

"Lisbon, Red John is in these woods!" Jane told her quickly.

The officers ran past us, eager to find the serial killer. I had a feeling he'd be long gone. Lisbon gave him a tired look before shaking her head.

"So you decided to go after him? Very clever Jane, very clever," She walked back into the woods, and eager to get away, I followed.

* * *

We all sat in the office, mugs in hand. My own contained a cup of exceedingly sweet tea. I needed it after the past two nights. And after the news I'd just given them.

Jane had kept his word, but as soon as we'd set foot into the headquarters he'd announced that I had something to say. Trust him to take my word literally. They'd stared at me, expectant. I'd quailed under their stares, desperate to be swallowed up by the floor. I had no such luck. And so my story had began, starting with the very first phone call. I found it just as hard to tell it the second time, but I managed to control my emotions. No point blubbering in front of everyone. But the mystery still remained. How had Red John gotten to the crash.

A bleep came from Lisbon's phone, and she checked it quickly. The grim look on her face told us it wasn't good news.

"The hospitals been in contact, seems our bus driver was shot in the leg. His braking leg. That's what caused the crash, it was no accident."

"So Red John was on the truck then?" Rigsby asked.

"Looks like it," Lisbon replied. "Right, Cho, Rigsby, head down to the hospital in the morning, see if this guys ready to talk. Until then, I think we could all do with some rest."

The words I had been dreading. I was going home, the place where it had all started. I felt myself sinking into the darkness, all hope fading.

"Uh, Lisbon, don't you think Maddy should stay somewhere else. Just until this blows over?" Jane piped up.

"Of course. You can't go back home. You can drop by in the morning to pick some things up. You've got our numbers, give us a call if anything happens. " She replied. For now, I was safe.

I knew the perfect place, a little hotel not far from the headquarters, I'd stayed there before I'd found my apartment. Unless he'd been stalking me from the time I'd moved down here, he'd never know. Desperately needing some sleep, I headed to my car.

I started the engine, ready to pull out, when there was a rap on the window beside me. I jumped, before rolling it down. Jane poked his head in.

"If you need anything, I'm only a phone call away," He said quietly

"Nothing's going to happen," I blurted out, perhaps to quickly. He gave a frown, clearly unconvinced, but stepped back never the less.

Without a backwards glance, I made my way to the hotel.

* * *

As I lay in the hotel bed, trying to sleep, the memories of the day ran through my head. I wasn't sure what I found more surprising, the fact that I was still sane, or the supportiveness of my new colleagues. I'd known them for a week, but they were all offering help if I needed it. I knew they'd figure the case out in time.

The case. It was certainly puzzling. I searched my brain for anything from my past job that would help. How had he found us? It couldn't have been a random attack. Maybe he had spies. No, that was to far fetched, he would have had to have hundreds to tell who we were. Or had he hacked into the CCTV at the crossing? No, he wouldn't have had time to find the truck. Or did he track us? With a mobile maybe? But he only had my number, and my phone was turned off. It hit me.

Getting out of bed, I stumbled in the dark over to my clothes, feeling in the pockets for my cell. Grabbing it, I flipped it open, screwing my eyes up at the light that hit my face. It was impossible, I'd turned it off in the car. So why was it now on, glowing in the darkness? Glowing in the darkness like a beacon, leading my stalker straight to me.

* * *

**Oooh! Exciting!**

**I wish it was longer, but felt like that was a good place to stop. You know how I love cliffhangers :P**

**Hope you liked it, review please!!!!!**


	12. Warning

**Sorry for the wait, I've been on holiday, and then the first few week back at schools been pretty hectic, but here we go :)**

**Hope its worth the wait :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist. **

* * *

**Chapter 12 - Bloodshot Eyes**

**Last Chapter...**

_Getting out of bed, I stumbled in the dark over to my clothes, feeling in the pockets for my cell. Grabbing it, I flipped it open, screwing my eyes up at the light that hit my face. It was impossible, I'd turned it off in the car. So why was it now on, glowing in the darkness? Glowing in the darkness like a beacon, leading my stalker straight to me._

_

* * *

_

_Maddy's POV_

I swung my coat on, rushing out of the room and slamming the door. This wasn't real, this sort of thing only happens in movies! I stumbled down the corridor, trying to steady my shaking legs before I feel down the stairs. The world was spinning, nothing seemed real. My breathing had pitched up, and everything was fuzzy. I reached the main lobby, heading for the doors, and staggered out into the parking lot.

The cool air helped to clear my head slightly, and I took a deep breath, composing myself. It was no good panicking, that wouldn't help at all. I hurried over to my car, and let out a strangled sob. The tires had been slashed, there was no way I'd be leaving in that. I unlocked the doors, climbing in and digging my phone out. Fingers shaking, I dialed Lisbon's number. It was engaged.

"No no no!" I hit my fist of the dashboard, closing my eyes for a brief second. And that's when I remembered what he'd said.

_If you need anything, I'm only a phone call away. _

Searching through my phone, I found Jane's number. It rang and rang, and for one horrifying second I thought he wouldn't pick up. And then his voice appeared at the other end of the phone, sleep laden, yawning.

"Jane,"

"My phone, he used my phone to track us! He turned it on remotely, and now my tires are slashed and I can't get away an-"

"Sh sh sh, I'm on my way, where are you?" He asked calmly, and I took a deep breath.

"Outside the hotel in my car, I'm not staying here though, I can't,"

"Right, start walking and stay on your phone," He commanded, and I climbed out of the car, almost running to the street.

"Jane?"

"Yes?"

"Please hurry," I asked quietly, my voice shaking. There was silence on the other end.

The street was dark, and I tried to stay under the streetlights as I walked, checking over my shoulder. If I was right, Jane would probably be sleeping on his sofa, so I began to walk in the direction of the head-quarters. I jumped as the sound of two cats fighting came from a dark alleyway beside me, and I hurried past further into the light. This part of town was eerily deserted.

"Are you still there?" came a voice across the phone line, and I stopped myself jumping yet again.

"Yes, I'm at the end of the street,"

"Good, I've left CBI, I'm on my way,"

"Wait, are you driving while on your phone," I asked sternly, my brow furrowing

"Now really Maddy, do you think now is the time to go all police officer on me?" He chuckled. I could just imagine the smirk he would have on his face at this moment in time.

"I s'pose not," I grumbled, walking across the road.

"Did you call Lisbon?" he asked

"Yeah, but she was on the phone, I couldn't get through," I explained "Have you been sleeping at the head-quarters again?"

"It's very convenient. If I'd gone home, i would have a much greater distance to come to get you. Plus there's good tea there. "

I gave a quiet laugh "I think I'll be needing some of that when we get back,"

"That's a promise. I'll make you the best tea you've ever tasted."

I spun around when I thought I heard a noise behind me. There was nothing there, but I increased my pace slightly, reaching yet another street corner and hurrying around it. And then I heard the noise again, and I realised it was a car engine, trundling close by. I'd missed it before, as it had been sitting with no lights on in the dark of an alleyway. But now, an old blue van pulled onto the road, creeping along towards me.

"Umm, Jane, where are you?" I asked nervously

"I'm nearly there, just one street to go. Why?"

"There's a van. It seems to be following me," I told him quietly. I heard the noise of his cars engine accelerating.

And then the van accelerated towards me, and I watched in horror as its side door slid open and a shadowy figure jumped out. I tried to run, but my legs were like jelly, wobbling around underneath me. The figure grabbed me around the waist, and I started to scream. Roughly, he pulled me towards the van. Another engine announce the arrival of Jane, and he threw the car door open. But he was too far away.

"Maddy!" He shouted, starting to run forward, but the driver of the van pulled out a gun, starting to shoot.

"Jane no!" I screamed before my mouth was covered by a sweaty hand.

The driver shot towards the consultant, the first bullet hitting one of his cars tires, the second hitting the floor just in front of him. I was now crying in terror as he jumped back just in time. I bit down on my captor's hand, screaming one more time before I was dragged into the van and everything went dark.

* * *

**_Jane's POV_**

The bullets just missed me, and as I dived backwards I knew it was too late. I watched as Maddy bit the kidnappers hand and screamed one last time. That scream wrenched me in two.

_Patrick!_

It was the first time she had used my first name. It was so full of fear and anguish, for a long time, I thought it would be the last time she spoke it. I ran back to my car, but turned around immediately when I spotted the tire. And then I chased the van down the street.

That was one of the many things I ended up using as an excuse to blame myself. I was unfit, unable to run particularly fast or for long periods of time. Maybe if I'd had more stamina I could have caught up. Or at least that's what I told myself. Out of breath, kneeling my hands on my knees, I finally took my cell out of my pocket.

"Jane, good it's you, listen have you heard from Clark, she's been trying to call-"

"Lisbon she's gone. He's got her," I cut her off. There was a moment of silence.

"How?" The shock was evident in her voice.

"They tracked her using her cell. And then they bundled her into a van. I was on my way to get her, if I'd gotten there sooner-"

"Don't start blaming yourself. If anyone's, this is my fault, I missed her call. Meet me back at HQ,"

"Ah, Lisbon, can you give me a lift, they shot my tires,"

"What do you mean?!" She screeched on the other end. "You confronted them unarmed?!"

"What was I supposed to do, they were taking her!" I snapped back.

"Fine, I'm on my way," And then she hung up.

I sighed, making my way back to my car, going over al the details in my head. The van had no number-plate for me to remember, but the man had been unmasked. The driver however, was in darkness. So I focused on the kidnapper, committing his details to memory. Thin face, long nose with a slight indent, thin eyebrows. Full lips, mole on his neck just slightly to the left and below his ear. Medium black hair, bangs over his face, stubble on his cheeks. Cold, grey eyes. A killer's eyes.

* * *

_**Maddy's POV**_

Darkness. Pain. Restriction. Rope on my wrists, material stuffed in my mouth, stiff. The smell of wood and damp. Numbness, and a pounding headache. The chink of china.

I peeled my eyes open, the sudden attack of light making me flinch. My neck and arms were stiff, and I could feel the hard surface beneath me. My head was dizzy, and the room was spinning. I flexed my fingers which were tied behind my back, pulling at the rope. It was bound tight.

"Gary, attend to our guest," An order came behind me, and I heard the sound of shuffling feet. The sound of tea being sipped stayed out of view. And then the face that I had seen in hundred's of nightmares appeared, leering at me, his grin manic and terrifying. My scream was lost in the material in my mouth, but as I was soon to learn, there was no-one to hear me scream anyway.

* * *

**I'm cruel I know :P Next chapter will be longer, I promise :)**

**Hope you liked it, review please!!!!!**


	13. Blood Links

**Okay people, the wait is over. My inspiration is back, and I'm bringing you the next chapter, even though I'm supposed to be studying for my exam which is two days time. That's how special you are. **

**I've also posted a banner for the fic on my profile page, near the bottom. Nothing special, but just something I made when I was bored at one point, thought you might like to see it :) There might be more on the way too.**

**But most importantly, I have some fantastic news. On Friday, all my wishes are coming true. That's right people, the Mentalist season two starts on channel 5 in the Uk. Took them long enough. **

**Every time the advert comes on, I literally stop breathing. I didn't realise quite how much I was missing Jane in my life.**

**Anyway, enough of my fan-girl squee-ing, back to the story!!!**

**Disclaimer: I does not belong to me okay!?!**

* * *

**Chapter 13 - Blood Links**

**Last Chapter...**

_I peeled my eyes open, the sudden attack of light making me flinch. My neck and arms were stiff, and I could feel the hard surface beneath me. My head was dizzy, and the room was spinning. I flexed my fingers which were tied behind my back, pulling at the rope. It was bound tight._

_"Gary, attend to our guest," An order came behind me, and I heard the sound of shuffling feet. The sound of tea being sipped stayed out of view. And then the face that I had seen in hundred's of nightmares appeared, leering at me, his grin manic and terrifying. My scream was lost in the material in my mouth, but as I was soon to learn, there was no-one to hear me scream anyway._

_

* * *

_

Patrick Jane was pacing. Not sitting, not lying on his couch calmly like he usually was at this time in the morning, but pacing. Backwards and forwards, from one side of the room to the other, muttering, plotting, planning. And it was giving Lisbon a head-ache.

"Jane will you sit down! You're making me dizzy!" She snapped at him.

He paused mid stride. "We shouldn't be here, we should be out there, looking for her! For Red John!"

"And we will, but first we need to find out where they are," she tried to sooth the consultant, and he slumped down on the couch with a dramatic sigh.

"Right, Van-Pelt, any luck with the CCTV images"

"No, sorry, the light's bad doesn't show the driver, and it only tells us what Jane's already said about the other man," The younger agent answered.

"Rigsby, how's the facial recognition going?"

"Still scanning the database for the attributes Jane gave us. No matches so far,"

"It was Gary." Jane piped up suddenly

"What? You can't be sure,"

"Oh but I know it was! She was terrified of that man, and he won't have left it there."

"Jane, we have no proof!" Lisbon started to protest, but he was having none of it. Before she could say another word, he'd grabbed his coat and was out of the door.

"Man, he's really riled up," Rigsby commented.

Lisbon replied with a quiet sigh before following the consultant out of the door.

* * *

Jane's car pulled up outside a familiar apartment, engine purring. The windows were in darkness, curtains open much as they had been when the team had left for the mountains only days ago. Things had seemed much simpler then.

The door was unlocked when they reached it, and it swung open with a creak. Inside, the sight was not pretty. The house had been completely trashed, pillows ripped off the couch, cups smashed across the floor and table legs in splinters. The answering machine lay on the floor, its light flashing on and off. Careful not to touch it with his bare fingers, Jane pressed the button.

_Madeline, what is going on? I keep calling your phone and there is no answer. Look, I'm coming down to visit okay, I'm worried and you never tell me anything anymore! Look, I know I nag you, but I just want to make sure you're safe. Maybe you could show me your new work? I'd like that. Anyway, I'm flying down in two hours, I'll see you soon. Love you._

Maddy's mother's voice left a ringing silence in the flat as the pair stood quietly. It heavy on their shoulders, crushing them beneath a black cloud of despair. When it seemed like it would never end, Lisbon finally broke it.

"We'll need to call her. Tell her what's happened, she'll be worried sick."

Jane started to sift through the debris on the floor, looking for that photo-frame that he had spotted earlier. The glass was smashed, the picture slightly torn. A creased edge confirmed his suspicions and he pulled it out, shaking away the splinters of glass. He gently unfolded it, staring at the picture.

Maddy was young and carefree, grinning. He'd only ever seen a flash of that smile on occasions, usually brought on by tea. Jane found him self smiling slightly at the thought. The side which had been visible also contained her mother, hugging her daughter fondly, hair greying slightly, but looking very much like an older version of Maddy. The hidden side contained a man, someone who Maddy had hidden from sight. It was unmistakably him. His hair was slightly shorter, trimmed, but he had the same mole on his neck. And his eyes were the same cold grey, the laughter on his face not quite reaching them.

"We've got him," Jane announced, holding the picture up. "It was Gary, I knew it,"

There was no reply

"Lisbon?"

She was standing in a doorway, the one that Jane knew led to Maddy's bedroom. He face was hidden from view, but he body was frozen in shock and horror, staring ahead of her. Patrick wandered slowly over, and felt his stomach plummet at the sight that met him.

On the wall, shawn a large smiley face drawn in blood. And on the floor behind the door lay Maddy's mother.

* * *

**Maddy's POV**

"So, Maddy, did you miss me?" Gary leered, leaning in close to my face. I could smell the stench of cigarettes and alcohol on his breath. And his eyes were blood shot and slightly out of focus.

"You never could hold your drink," I spat, my voice shaking and giving away my fear. He just laughed.

"And you could never hold your tongue," he grab my bottom jaw, and I was powerless to stop him "Maybe I'll just have to cut it out."

The knife in his hand was small, with a jagged edge to one side. It was rusty, and in the dim light the tip shawn red. I didn't want to think about why that was.

"Gary! As tempting as the thought may be, she needs her tongue. For the time being anyway," Red John laughed at his joke, sending a shiver down my spine.

"What do you want with me?!" I asked, trembling from head to toe.

"I want to give you a family reunion to remember Maddy. Your darling Daddy wants to give you and your husband to be his blessing. "

"You know him?"

"Yes, he's a _very_ close friend of mine," came the laughing reply from behind "But first, tell me, your Mother, are you close to her,"

"She's got nothing to do with this! Leave her alone!" I shrieked becoming panicked

"Oh but Maddy! I'm afraid it's far too late for that. She should really keep her prying nose out of other peoples business,"

"No..." I felt faint, I felt cold, I felt numb. I wouldn't believe it. It was all just a bad dream, every second of it.

"But Daddy's here to save the day," he continued in a mocking voice.

I felt my hair being brushed away from my ear, and a rough hand wipe away the first of the tears which were beginning to fall. And then Red John completely and utterly shattered my world. Everything I was, everything I had worked for, everything I believed in gone in the five little words that he whispered into my ear.

_"Welcome home my little princess,"_

_

* * *

_

Jane and Lisbon arrived back at the head-quarters, dejected. One person missing, another dead, and Red John had shattered anther family to pieces. And Jane had had enough.

Lisbon headed off to discuss the findings with Minelli, and Cho and Rigsby were out following up another lead. A witness had seen a van speeding off through the outskirts of town, and hopefully, they'd be able to follow the trail.

Ignoring his tired limbs and lack of sleep, Jane made his way to his desk, thinking once again. But sitting on top of it was a package that caught his eye. Wrapped in brown paper, and tied in white string, it lay, looking small and insignificant. A type written message, eerily familiar was tied to the front.

_Dear mister Jane_

_The contents of this package may be of interest to you. It really goes to show that you can't trust anyone in these times._

_Are you really sure that you want her found?_

_RJ_

Jane's blood ran cold. Ever so slowly, he peeled the paper apart, peeking inside. A small box lay in the wrappings, and in the box lay a certifitate. Jane read it with mounting horror.

_The alleged father, John, cannot be excluded as being the father of the child, Madeline Clark. Based on these data, the probability of paternity is 99.9982%._

_"Paternity...can't trust anyone...sure that you want her found..." _The words floated through Jane's mind, repeating themselves, taunting him, eating him alive.

Grabbing the contents of the package, Jane ran from the room, bursting into Minelli's office.

"Maddy is the daughter of Red John,"

* * *

**Maddy's POV**

"Now Maddy, I can't help but notice that you've grown rather attached to Mr Jane. I don't think I approve," Red John had still not shown his face.

I glanced around at Gary, who was poring three cups of tea. He hadn't taken those dead eyes off me since I had woken up, staring, watching, boring into my scull.

"Leave Patrick out of this," I said quietly, the fight having left me

Gary shuffled over, holding the tea. He tipped it up to my mouth, but I refused to drink it. I gasped as a searing pain ran over my knee, the hot tea spilling. With an angry snarl, Gary slapped me with the back of his hand, cricking my neck and stinging my cheek. Dazed, I blinked repeatedly, clearing the haze from my eyes. Red John ignored it and kept talking.

"Oh, so it's Patrick now? First name terms? You _must_ be interested! But tell me dear, what will dear Mr Jane think of you when he finds out that you're the daughter of his arch enemy?" He gave a guttural laugh as I froze, stiff "Because I have told him. Only this morning did he receive my letter in the post. I don't think he'll be so keen to rescue you now,"

He knew. He knew what I was. There was no way he would trust me again, the hate I'd seen in his eyes that night during the chase through the forest. My father had killed his family.

I was the enemy.

* * *

**I feel really quite evil now. I always seem to give my OCs a bad time :3 Oh well :P**

**Hope it was worth the wait.**

**REVIEW!!!**


	14. Red Beacon

**Thankyou for all your lovely reviews! This chapter is dedicated to all you lovely readers :)**

**And my exam seemed to go well, surprisingly :D But I won't get my hopes up, you never know until you get the results :/**

**I've also posted another banner for the fic on my profile page, near the bottom. Nothing special, but just something I made when I was bored at one point, thought you might like to see it :)**

**Its on TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you tell I'm excited? xD**

**Disclaimer: I does not belong to me okay!?!**

* * *

**Chapter 14 - Red Beacon**

**Last Chapter...**

_He knew. He knew what I was. There was no way he would trust me again, the hate I'd seen in his eyes that night during the chase through the forest. My father had killed his family._

_I was the enemy._

* * *

"How do we know that this isn't a trap? She could have been leading us to this point from the start," Minelli argued.

The office had sat silently in shock for a few moments before the two other occupants had burst into confused protests. Once they finally stopped talking over each other, the real discussion had began, and now they sat, morose and subdued, talking the case out.

"I don't think she's like that. She seemed scared to me," Lisbon protested before giving Jane a questioning glance which quite clearly said _"Well come on then, tell us what you think! You're the expert on these things!"_

Patrick hadn't said much since he'd broken the news and had spent the majority of the time trying to block out the other two's arguing, to think. He was staring absently at his hands at that point, his mind whirring away, trying to work out the situation. He looked up distractedly.

"No, I don't think she had any idea what was going on. You didn't see her the night she got the call at the motel. Or when the phone wrung in her apartment. You didn't see her when they took her. She was terrified." But at the back of his mind he had doubts.

Red John had tricked him before. He'd read him wrong, had underestimated the danger before, and now his beautiful wife and daughter were dead. How did he know she wasn't in on it? What if she was just as cunning as he father? And he's been running around making her cups of tea and taking her to lunch.

But then the image of her tear stained face, trembling on the edge of the bed as she told her story cleared his doubts away again.

_She's innocent_

"Well, I want Jane off the case," he was brought back to earth with a bump at Minelli's words, standing up immediatly

"You can't do that,"

"I can, and I am. You go too far Jane, and if this is a trap, you'll walk right in, whether Miss Clark is involved or not,"

"No way, you're not taking me off this case. I need to find Red John, this is the perfect chance. I _need_ to find him!"

"And this is exactly why I'm not letting you!" Minelli argued back "If, and I say if, we find out where Miss Clark has been taken to, your big plans of vengeance may put her and my other agents in danger! I will not have anymore casualties! It will ruin this department!"

"If all you care about is your reputation then we have nothing further to discuss," And with that, Jane left the room.

"Get after him Lisbon!" Minelli growled at her.

The door was slammed behind her.

* * *

"What d'you thinks going on?" Rigsby whispered to his two colleagues, listening carefully.

He'd been on his way to find Lisbon with a possible break-through, when the shouting from Minelli's office had distracted him. So Rigsby had done what any normal agent would have done. Gotten the attention of Cho and Van-Pelt, and hid outside the door listening. The shouting had subdued for a while, and they had been about to give up when Minelli and Jane's raised voices echoed through the door. But through the muffled shouting they could only hear snippets.

_case...can't...trap...Red John...ruin...department..._

And then the door flew open and Jane stormed out, face like thunder. He nearly walked straight into Rigsby, who straightened his tie and picked the print-out he'd been holding off the ground, trying his best to look innocent. Van-Pelt fiddled with her hair and began to walk in any random direction. Cho stared off into space.

The door opened again and Lisbon rushed out before the door was slammed behind her. She coughed, looked around at her agents and furrowed her brow.

"What's going on here?"

"Well, judging by their blushing faces and inability to look either of us in the eye, I would say that these three have been eavesdropping." Jane told her quietly.

Lisbon's frown increased, and she opened her mouth to lecture them before giving a large sigh and shaking her head.

"We don't have time for this, that better be good news," She pointed to Rigsby and he handed her the print out.

"Ranger at Folsom Lake found an abandoned van by the lake shore. There were footprints in the mud, walking into the forest, deep footprints,"

"They were carrying someone?" Lisbon asked, reading the report quickly

"Looks like it. And Lisbon. The van was rusted blue, no license-plate,"

"Get on the phone to the ranger, Van-Pelt, get a map of the area, I want details of all cabins shelters, anything near the dump site,"

The team rushed off to do their job.

"And what about me. Do you want me to go home?" Jane asked quietly

"I won't tell if you don't" Lisbon gave him a grim smile

* * *

Maddy's POV

The tea that had spilt on my knee was cold and had sunk through the thin material of my trousers. My throat was dry, having refused to drink anything, and it scratched with every breath. My back ached from being tied to the chair, upright for so long, and my wrists were rubbed raw by the rope. Gary was still watching.

I closed my eyes, trying to block out the scene around me and let my mind wander. I thought of the morning I'd spent sleeping on the couch in CBI, of the feeling of warmth and safety, of Jane's sleep smile as I awoke. And then I fought back the tears as I realised that I'd never see that smile again. If I lived through this, he'd never want to speak to me again.

My mother had said- no, I mustn't think of her. The pain was too raw, biting into every nerve worse than the parched throat or the tied wrists. She was gone. I was alone. My family was shattered. Red John was certainly no father of mine.

He sat behind me, sipping his tea leisurely. I could hear the rustle of a newspaper, his casual sniff occasionally. He seemed to have forgotten about my presence entirely. Or so I'd thought.

"I grow tired of this charade. You have had adequate time to think, tell me. Have you considered what you are to do?" The face behind the voice was once again, out of sight.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I told him shakily.

"Well, there's always the family business after all,"

I sat in shock for a second, trying to comprehend his words. And then I regained the power of speech.

"If you think I'd want to be like you, you've got another thing coming, you murdering, evil bast-"

"Enough!" He shouted before I could finish "You will not speak to me in such a way!" His voice was high, shrieking.

And then I felt it, the cold glint of metal on the skin at my throat. Red John had his knife.

"I've a good mind to cut you a new mouth!" He growled in my ear, and I caught a hint of something on his breath, something minty, peppermint maybe.

The knife slithered lightly over my skin, and I tried to stop the terrible shaking that was now overwhelming me, in case it would cause the sharp edge to cut. It brushed over my chin, up my cheek. And then bit into the tender flesh on my cheek bone.

The scream that I sent was enough to wake the dead, and the tears began to flow automatically, mixing with the blood that now dripped down my face and nipping the cut. The shaking increased, and I couldn't stop, sobs beginning to follow.

Red John laughed behind me, and then stopped, dead. I heard the beep of something electronic, before he cursed.

"Gary. It seems we have company. Stay with the girl. Do not let her leave alive."

"And Jane?" Gary spoke up, and his voice sent shivers down my spine

"Leave him. He's is mine for another time," he footsteps echoed on bare floorboards before their was a creak of wood and then nothing.

I looked up at my ex-fiance. He leveled a gun towards me.

"Now, Gary, don't do anything stupid," I pleaded, trying to control the tears

"You never loved me," He muttered, his finger scratching the trigger "You NEVER WILL!"

"I did! Gary! I still do," I lied, the pleading note not leaving my voice, "We could try again, we could make this work!"

He almost seemed to hesitate "I have my orders,"

"You don't have to follow him! He doesn't own you! Please Gary!" The tears were flowing heavier "I love you!"

"You're just saying that!" He shouted, adjusting his aim

"I'm not!" I lied, becoming frantic, my feet scratching over the floorboards "I'm not lying!"

And then I heard it. The creak of floorboards, movement out of the corner of my eye. Lisbon stepped out of the shadows

"Put down the gun Gary. You don't want to do this,"

"I do! I have to!" He growled, not taking his eyes off my tear stained and bleeding face

"You don't, you don't have to do anything you don't want to,"

And then I heard another set of footsteps to my right, and I swiveled my head slightly, glancing away from the gun in front of me. I locked eyes with the newcomer, and I let out a strangled sob.

"Jane,"

"You LIAR!" Gary yelled, and pulled the trigger.

There were two bangs, a sudden burning pain, and then darkness.

* * *

**Lisbon to the rescue! Woo! xD**

**Oooh, what a cliffy ;) I bet you hate me now :P**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed it :) The next chapter should be on its way soon :) If you're lucky, it may be done by Monday. That's if you're lucky. :P**

**REVIEW!!!**


	15. Memories from the Heart

**My goodness! How amazing was that season premiere! AAh! And Five has a new indent that he's in, and I squealed at the TV when they said "So here's your favourite Dramas to count you down" And then the guy from Flashforward, mac from CSI:NY, Catherine and Ray from CSI and then Patrick counted down for it starting, and the look on Patrick's face made me go "EEEEE!"**

**Its at teh you-tube of course**

**.com/watch?v=_OBuG2BOeoY**

**Have a look for yourself!**

**And look at that, this chapter is a day early! Lucky you xD**

**Disclaimer: I does not belong to me okay!?!**

* * *

**Chapter 15 - Memories from the Heart**

**Last Chapter...**

_And then I heard another set of footsteps to my right, and I swiveled my head slightly, glancing away from the gun in front of me. I locked eyes with the newcomer, and I let out a strangled sob._

_"Jane,"_

_"You LIAR!" Gary yelled, and pulled the trigger._

_There were two bangs, a sudden burning pain, and then darkness_

* * *

_"Mum?" The little girl ran over to the older woman, sitting on the park bench watching her daughter feed the ducks. _

_"What is it sweetie?" _

_"It's Father's Day this weekend. And all my friends are buying their dads cards. They all live with their dads. Where did mine go?"_

_The little girls face was screwed up in confusion, the youthful innocence radiating from her small features. Curiosity burned in her eyes._

_"Your Dad went away, and you're better of without him," her mother dismissed the question quickly. It didn't put the girl off._

_"But why? Did he not love me?"_

_Her mother sighed, thinking exactly what to say, "What you have to understand Maddy is that your father never loved anyone. He only loved himself. Some men are like that."_

_"Were you sad when he left?" The little girl asked quietly_

_"Yes. I was, he'd promised me a perfect future and I believed him. Your dad had a way with words"_

_"Well, I'm never getting married," the little girl stood up suddenly "Boys are silly!"_

_He mother laughed "Just you wait until your older! As soon as you find the right one, you'll be head over heels!"_

_"No I wont!" She pouted before sticking her tongue out. "Last one to the play-park is a big softy!" _

_The little girl ran laughing over the grass, her mother smiling behind her._

* * *

There was a regular beep of machinery, quiet voices in the background. An unrecognisable male voice, talking low. The occasional sound of a woman's voice. Lisbon. Worry was evident in her voice, but the word's were fuzzy. I couldn't make them out.

Someone took my hand, holding it softly in a gentle grip. The squeezed my hand slightly, stroking the back of it. I thought I caught a whiff of my mother's perfume, but then there was a voice near to me, male, familiar, but I couldn't quite place a face.

And then I remembered that my mother was gone, and the darkness engulfed me again.

* * *

_"I hate him! He's an idiot!" The teenage girl slammed her bedroom door in a fury, chucking her bag down on the bed in her rage._

_She slumped down on the bed and stared resolutely at the wall, as if trying to burn a hole through to the next room. After a few minutes the door opened again, and her mother came in sitting down on the bed beside her. _

_"Do you want to talk about it?"_

_"No. He's a git, there's nothing else to say," The girl huffed_

_The mother paused for a second, a smirk playing on her lips, trying to hide it from her daughter._

_"Do you want some ice-cream then. We could break out the nibbles, watch a movie. A girly night in with your mother, how about it?" She nudged her daughter playfully. _

_The girl continued to glare, but it slipped from her face briefly, a smile shining through. She finally gave in, and a giggle escaped her mouth._

_"Is it chocolate?"_

_"Of course, what else?!" Her mother exclaimed._

_Linking arms, they left the room._

_

* * *

_

It was dark and silent, save for that repetitive beeping. No voices, no quiet murmuring, nothing. Just the beeping.

But the hand was still there, there was less pressure, but it was there. And there was a new weight, pulling the blankets slightly beside me. The sound of light breathing that wasn't my own. I tried to open my eyes and failed. With all my strength, I squeezed the hand in mine.

There was a rustling of sheets and the weight lifted. A sleepy voice gasped my name, the same familiar voice. Frustrated, I tried to place a face and again, failed.

The beeping increased in speed. A pain blossomed in my stomach. I gave a weak groan, and blacked out.

* * *

_"Okay, here I go!" The girl was almost bouncing up and down, brimming with confidence. Her mother looked on proudly._

_"Your first day as a CSI! I'm so proud of you Maddy!" She had a tear shining in her eye, and her voice wobbled._

_"Oh mum! Don't start crying now!" The girl laughed, rushing over to hug her mother._

_"Now, you drive safe, no speeding. Call me when you get there, be sure to make some friends, text me when you're leaving, I'll put a cup of tea on for you, don't forget your purse, be sure to take plenty breaks, -"_

_"MUM! I'll be fine," She laughed, kissing her on the cheek "I'll see you later,"_

_"Okay okay. See you later, love you," she kissed her daughter back._

_"Sure you won't get bored when I'm away?" _

_"Oh, I'm sure I can amuse myself. The TV all to myself! There's that new psychic's show on, I'll watch that-"_

_"Oh, you know that's a load of rubbish! It's all mind games!" The girl protested, half way out of the door_

_"You can't know that for sure! Anyway I enjoy it, you won't know what you're missing!" _

_The girl laughed "Sure mum, see you later," The door closed behind her. _

_But not before she saw her mother wipe another tear of happiness from her eye._

_

* * *

_

There was a numbness spreading through me, easing the pain. It tingled, and it soothed. And it was the oddest thing I had ever felt.

I shouldn't be numb, I didn't like it. At least with pain I knew I was alive. I felt myself frown in confusion.

There was an audible exclamation of astonishment, an excited but worried voice. And another, Lisbon again, and then possibly Van-Pelt. Lisbon's commanding tone was muffled before someone shot back a reply. A disagreement? There were footsteps and someone left the room.

The numbness increased.

* * *

_The girl was laughing, the joy leaking from every pore. A grin was plastered over her face. She had a young man on one arm, short hair, chin lightly stubbled. Smart, respectable, happy. Her mother was on her other arm, grinning as much as her daughter looking younger than she had in years. A ring was shinning on the daughters finger. _

_A camera clicked before there was a flash. The trio disbanded, still laughing and grinning. The man excused himself with a tender kiss on the daughter's lips. The mother watched him leave before giggling. _

_"Such a charmer that one! Reminds me of when I was young," The mother exclaimed. _

_The daughter's smile shrunk, "Of Dad?" _

_The mother stopped. "In the early days, yes," _

_"But Gary's different. He won't leave me, he loves me," the girl argued, but almost sounded like she was convincing herself_

_"Of course he does Maddy! I meant that it reminded me of the happiness I had." Her mother explained. _

_Her daughter still looked worried. _

_"But seeing you like this makes me happier than ever," Her mother folded her into a hug "No matter what you choose, or where you go, I'll be there for you. Seeing _you_ happy, makes me happy,"_

_"Love you mum,"_

_"Love you Maddy"_

_

* * *

_

The feeling had returned to my limbs. And with it came the pain, not just physically, but emotionally. I felt like I had a giant, gaping hole in my heart. And it hurt more than the throbbing of my stomach.

A single tear ran down my cheek, stinging as it went. The cut, I remembered that cut on my cheek, the pain, the hatred, _the fear. _It threatened to overwhelm me, and my breathing became panicked. The beeping of the machinery increased before I heard a soothing voice, trying to calm me down. My eyes opened gradually.

A fuzzy figure stood at the edge of my bed, slowly coming into focus. I made out the dark hair, long, a woman. Lisbon's features finally were crisp.

"How are you feeling?" She asked quietly

I took a deep breath, ready to try and talk, but the sharp pain in my stomach flared up. "Ow!" was all I could manage.

Lisbon gave a little smile, letting me collect my bearings for a second.

"What happened?"

"You were shot in the abdomen. Luckily we already had an ambulance on standby incase anything went wrong. The bullets been removed, and the doctor said the operation was a success. Your on the mend,"

"And...what about them?" I asked quietly. She knew who I was talking about.

"Gary's dead. He was shot shortly after you. There was no sign of Red John,"

_No sign of Red John. He's still out there. _

Lisbon paused, watching my reaction for a second. "I'll go tell the others that your awake. I'm sure they'll want to see you, Jane especially,"

That triggered a response. "No! No, don't send him in, he won't want to see me! No, you can't, please Lisbon, no!" pleaded, and she seemed extremely shocked at my outburst.

"There's no reason I can think of why he wouldn't want to come. I had to give him direct orders to go and get something to eat, he hasn't left your bedside for days,"

_My bedside? _The familiar voice came back to me, and I suddenly realised who it was. Jane had been with me the whole time. I stopped myself from tearing up.

Lisbon left the room, and I waited, shutting my eyes slightly. But I opened them again straight away, because all I could see was Gary's leering face. I gave a startled jump when I noticed a figure in the doorway, watching.

Jane gave a slight, tired smiled before coming to sit beside me. I watched him unsure what to say. What was there to say? _Hi, terribly sorry, but I'm the daughter of the man who killed your family, is all forgiven? _I went to open my mouth, but he gave a gentle shush, and I stopped.

"I know what you're about to say, and I won't listen. I don't blame you at all," his voice had that calming quality again, but I fought it.

"But Jane, he-"

"I know what he is, but listen to me Maddy, _it is not your fault._"

I swallowed, trying to clear the lump in my throat, "So...you don't hate me then?"

He gave a tired laugh. "I think that would be impossible. You know what they say, you can choose your friends but not your relations. I think I've chosen,"

At that moment, I longed to sit up and give him the biggest hug of his life. I knew however, that it would cause unimaginable pain, that felt like I was being ripped into. I settled for taking his hand, and giving it a gentle squeeze, which he returned.

We sat in silence for a second, just enjoying the company, until it all hit me again. My mum was gone. I'd never see her again. What made it worse, was the fact that I'd seen the sort of crime scenes that were Red John's, or his copycat, Gary's. And I could see my mother, in my mind, exactly like the other victims, and it made me feel sick. Within in seconds, the tears were falling, and I made no attempt to stop them.

I felt the mattress of the bed sink slight, and an arm wrap carefully around my shoulder, trying not to nock me. A warmth, a feeling of safety. Jane didn't say anything, he was just there, and that was enough. My head slumped to his shoulder, where I could feel him breathing, and hear his heartbeat, and it was there I realised that Patrick was crying quietly too, no doubt thinking of those lost. I couldn't tell you how long we sat there for, sharing the pain, sharing the loss. But somehow, it made it easier to bear.

"No matter what happens," I heard him say quietly "We're in this together now,"

And I knew he was right. Suddenly, I didn't feel quite so alone.

* * *

**My god, I didn't realise just how sentimentally fluffy I could be xD Oh well, hope it's not too cheesy :P**

**There will be one more chapter, just one, I know, terrible! An Epilogue of sorts. **

**And then my dear readers, I shall start of a sequel, YAY! And, if your interested, a kind of companion fic thats made up of little one shots, ideas that I had that wouldn't fit into the plot, bits of fluff, and general Patrick/Maddy will they/wont they moments :D**

**REVIEW!!!**


	16. Red Carnation An Epilogue

**Wow, can't quite believe that I've come to the end of this. I'm feeling quite sad really :( **

**But its been great fun, and I can't wait to start a sequel, i've got so many ideas going mad in my head!!!!!**

**So thanks to all you guys for keeping me going, I probably wouldn't have finished without your enthusiasm :)**

**Some review answers for the last chapter:**

**Ava-Connie: I think I may hug you back :P I'm afraid there will be many more cliff hangers in the next one too, so you'll just have to hate me for a little while longer xD And yes, I LOVE Gene Hunt and Doctor Who. Gene and the 10th doctor go in my list of all time favourite people ever :P**

**BFangz: Thank-you! The next one will be on its way soon :)**

**Rosewood of Brazil: I know! I keep going back and watching that part again. He's so darn cute! And thank-you! :)**

**Sarcasm-the Lowest Form Of Wit: I'm only on episode one :( But I can't wait to see the one where he gets knocked out, I've seen some clips from it and it looks soooo good :)**

**Black Wolf Dog: - Thank-you! And Thanks for all your support throughout the fic :)**

**OryonUK: Thank-you ^^ I am actually quite proud, it's amazing looking back at my older stories and comparing the writing and the amount in each chapter. This one has really helped me improve. Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long, I'm going to start it tomorrow! I have my last exam in the morning, then I'm off all day and for another two days, so there will be plenty writing time. YAY!**

**Disclaimer: I does not belong to me okay!?!**

* * *

**Red Carnation - An Epilogue**

**Last Chapter...**

_"No matter what happens," I heard him say quietly "We're in this together now,"_

_And I knew he was right. Suddenly, I didn't feel quite so alone._

* * *

I was drained, in need of some desperate sleep. Due to my increasing good health, the doctor had allowed me to attend my mother's funeral. The entire service had been spent in a wheelchair, as I was under strict instructions not to do anything physical what so ever. My legs were stiff, my back was stiff, my neck was stiff, and the great hole in my heart was throbbing.

Of course, I hadn't been alone. The team had surprised me, coming to pay their respects to a woman they hardly new. Jane had volunteered to be my main wheel chair pusher, and kept me from loosing it all together. The steadying hand on my shoulder made me feel a little less alone in the world.

The ceremony had been beautiful, and the grave yard was alive with birds twittering in the branches of the tree around us. There was a gentle breeze, rustling the leaves in the trees. She would have liked it. I wept as she was placed in her grave. I wept for the loss of my mother, my friend, my protector, my teacher. I wept for life, as I knew nothing would ever be the same.

I wept for the loss of my father. When I was younger, I'd often considered him to be a bit of a coward. A man who, when faced with the prospect of family, had taken the easy way out. I thought he might look for me later in life, explain his fear back when I was young, ask if I would take him into my life, walk me down the isle, be a father. I had never expected _this_. So as well as loosing my mother, I had lost my father. The one I had dreamt about was dead.

The drive back to the hospital was a sombre one, but I didn't want to leave that car. After being moved to a new ward, visiting hours were now restricted to certain times, and it was when I was alone that the memories came back. I needed company.

Jane pushed the wheelchair back inside, still quiet. We stopped outside my ward, where the nurses were waiting.

"Oh, here you are. Right, lets get you into bed shall we?" The nurse chirped. They were always friendly and smiling, I don't know how they did it.

"Can we have a moment first," Jane asked, and she gave him a smile and walked away. Jane knelt down so he was level with me.

"Okay?" I nodded a reply. He knew that I wasn't.

"I'm just on the other end of the phone. If you need anything, just call me, I'm sure I'll be able to get past these ladies quickly," There was a sparkle in his eye, and I found myself wearing a small smile.

"Will you come back?" I asked desperatly

"Of course, the whole visiting time tomorrow,"

"These rules are stupid," I huffed, sounding like a moody ten year old. Jane only gave a short laugh.

"See you soon," I watched him leave with increasing dread. I was missing him already.

I changed back into my hospital gown slowly, wishing I wasn't there. The nurse gave me a smile.

"Missing your man already?"

"Oh, no, he isn't my man, he's just a friend, no feeling there," I spluttered.

She gave me a knowing wink, and I turned beet-root. Was it really that obvious? If she could see it, Jane must be cringing in his shoes!

Still blushing, I opened the curtains around my bed, now comfortably sitting under the covers. A flash of red caught my eye. Sitting on the table at the end, was a bright red flower. A red carnation, sitting in front of me. The nurse noticed, and will a small gasp, she handed me the flower.

I read the type written message with dread.

_Madeline_

_Get well soon my little princess, I'll be waiting._

_Your loving father_

"Oh, isn't that lovely dear!" The nurse exclaimed before bustling off to see another patient.

I sat in silence, in shock. One thing was for sure. Red John wasn't finished with me just yet.

FIN

* * *

**Wow, can't believe its over. Thanks again readers, keep your eyes peeled for the sequel!**

**REVIEW!!!**


	17. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

**The Sequel is HERE!!! YAY! I couldn't wait until tomorrow to start it, so the first chapter is up. **

**It's called "Numb" and you can find it on my page, go look go look!**

**So yeah, I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for reading "Not In The Job Description" :D**


End file.
